Blue and White leader Benny Gantz said on Tuesday that if he succeeds in becoming Israeli’s next premier, he will “embrace all streams of Judaism.”
Addressing Jewish leaders from around the world at the Jewish Agency’s Board of Governor’s meeting in Jerusalem, Gantz said, “When I will be the prime minister of Israel, I will embrace all streams of Judaism. We are part of an inspiringly colorful mosaic of cultures and traditions. I will nurture this pluralism.”
As part of that effort, Gantz said, “I will promote the implementation of the Western Wall agreement,” referring to a 2016 plan to create a mixed-gender prayer section at the Western Wall that was scuttled by the ultra-Orthodox parties.
“Every time I go to the Western Wall, I look at the sea of stones, the different sizes and shapes, like the streams we have in Judaism,” said Gantz. “I’m telling you today, the Western Wall is long enough for all.”
While there are many streams of Judaism in modern-day Israel, the official governmental application of Judaism is Orthodox, including pertaining to issues of conversion, marriage and certain other religious practices.