169. To Whom Does the Western Wall Belong?

Several weeks ago, during several bar and bat mitzvahs being celebrated at the egalitarian section of the Western Wall, about 50 Charedi young men interrupted their services. They blew whistles, screamed at the attendees, and ripped up their prayer books. Videos show them calling the worshipers “Nazis,” “Christians,” “animals,” “shiksas," and “Reform Jews.”

In a similar-but-different story, Gil Tamary, a Jewish and Israeli Channel 13 journalist, recently snuck into Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, has a total ban on non-Muslims entering the city. Tamary made it clear that he knew he was breaking the law. This event enraged both the government of Saudi Arabia and many Muslims worldwide.

Uri and Rivky ask, are these stories as the same? Who are the "good" and “bad” guys, in either story? And ultimately, is it fair, and is it appropriate, to restrict groups of people from religious spaces?

Lazar Berman: https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/lazar-berman/

Rabbi Scott Kahn episode about the kotel episode: https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/egalitarian-prayer-at-the-kotel-how-should-orthodox-jews-respond-121/