In Israel, you have the right to worship freely. It is the only thriving democracy in the Middle East and a safe haven for those who seek protection from religious persecution and overbearing political regimes.

Recently, the Jewish State has taken a large step towards strengthening and expanding its fundamental principles of freedom of access and practice of religion for all.

The iconic symbol of unity among Jews and where many make pilgrimage from all parts of the world to pray is the Western Wall, known in Hebrew as the Kotel. It is the closest anyone is able to get to the site of the Great Temple, making it the holiest site for the Jewish people.

The New York Times recently polled non-Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative Jews in North America. The results indicated that an overwhelming majority feel alienated from their religious practices when in Israel because the Orthodox authorities have government-sanctioned control of most of the intersection of religious, political, and societal life in Israel.

The Orthodox tradition when approaching the Wall is to separate the men’s and women’s prayer sections. This is a common practice to connect with God apart from the distractions of the opposite sex.

After much effort on part of Natan Sharansky, of the Jewish Agency, and World (particularly North American) Jewry, the Knesset has voted on a resolution which will allow for a third option when approaching the Wall to pray.

Known as the “Robinson’s Arch,” south of the men’s and women’s divide, this plan to build a $9 million plaza, as reported by US News, will be dedicated to pluralist and egalitarian prayer.

This “One Wall for One People” idea promotes an attitude of coexistence that strives to provide equality amongst the genders across Israel. Although the new prayer plaza will be built separately, some rituals will remain intact, however these new female visitors could possibly be carrying Torah scrolls and wearing clothing of religious significance, which is typically reserved for men.

This is understandably difficult for the Ultra-Orthodox to accept. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he greatly appreciated the Jews of the Diaspora. He believes this small step of accommodating every Jew with options to pray according to their beliefs in this holy place helps remove another obstacle dividing the society.

Israelis respect and practice religious freedom and Parliament, by means of the legal system, has enacted a law to protect it for that very purpose.

This new addition to the holy prayer site is exactly the direction that Israel needs to go. As a religious Christian Zionist, I want to see everyone be able to experience the power and rich history of the Holy Land without feeling the pressures of opposing ideologies and restrictions.

Israel is always developing itself towards greatness and the decision by the Knesset will display to its neighboring countries and the world an example of government cooperation with society to peacefully resolve issues.

The high standards that Israel has set are not because it is a religious Jewish state, but rather because it is a state that respects religion in the public sphere.

When a powerful event like this occurs, it shapes and direct trends that which will continue to captivate us in the future.