Avi Maoz Accuses Rothman of Blocking Western Wall Bill

On Monday, Noam party chairman MK Avi Maoz sent a sharp letter to coalition chairman MK Ofir Katz, demanding that the Western Wall bill be removed from the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee and moved to another panel so it can be completed during the current Knesset term.

Maoz said the bill, which aims to prevent the High Court of Justice from intervening in matters involving the Western Wall, has been delayed for a long time in the committee chaired by MK Simcha Rothman, even though it already passed a preliminary reading with support from most coalition members.

In the letter, Maoz launched a direct attack on Rothman, writing that it is puzzling how Rothman leads a fight against judicial intervention in state institutions while, in Maoz’s words, “in practice” helping the High Court and the Reform movement “take over the Western Wall” and allow its desecration.

He warned that continued delays could let the court and the Reform movement shape what happens at the site, and urged Katz to bring the issue to an urgent Knesset Committee discussion, remove the obstacles, and either transfer the bill to another committee or form a special committee to handle it without delay.

Maoz added that if the bill does not pass in the current Knesset, the coalition will bear responsibility and be remembered as having abandoned the Western Wall and handed it, “on a silver platter,” to the High Court and the Reform movement.