Shas, UTJ, Otzma Yehudit to back bill giving Rabbinate full control over Western Wall prayer

By Sam Sokol 22 February 2026, 4:05 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Jewish worshipers attend the 'priestly blessing' ceremony at Jerusalem's Western Wall during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, on October 9, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

In a joint statement, the parties Shas, United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit announce that they will vote in favor of Noam MK Avi Maoz’s bill giving the Chief Rabbinate full control over prayer at all parts of the Western Wall, in its preliminary reading next week.

“We will support the Western Wall law that will be put to a vote on Wednesday. It was so in the past and it will be so now,” the statement says.

Maoz’s proposal is intended to undercut last Thursday’s High Court of Justice ruling that the state must move forward with the upgrade of the Western Wall egalitarian plaza, which would allow non-Orthodox prayers at a lesser-used portion of the holy site.

This morning, at the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs called off a meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation to discuss the bill. Netanyahu is reportedly concerned about pushback from Diaspora Jewish leaders.

Following the cancellation, Justice Minister Yariv Levin called on members of the coalition to support the bill in its upcoming preliminary reading, while coalition whip Ofir Katz said that they were free to vote as they wish.

Asked about the cancellation of today’s meeting, a spokesman for Levin told The Times of Israel, “You’ll have to ask Yossi Fuchs why he ordered the cancellation.”