Proposed regulation — not enacted

Proposed Sacred Sites Regulations

Status: revision proposal; not enacted law. Original source: Article 19 Section 3 paragraph 3 and Section 4 paragraph 3. Disposition: relocated and classified under the approved revision instructions. Intended legal type: subordinate civilian access and operating regulations. Relocation approved: yes. Substance: provisional; physical arrangements subject to rights, capacity, safety, and review.

These preserved arrangements are proposals, not constitutional commands or enacted regulations. They require review for physical feasibility, religious compatibility, neutral proportionality, and the rights in Article 2 Section 9. Security remains specialized and civilian under Article 19 Section 3.

Training details

3. Members shall undergo specialized training in:

   • The religious practices, sacred calendar, ritual requirements, and cultural sensitivities of all faith communities with sites under the Authority's jurisdiction
   • De-escalation techniques specifically designed for religiously charged environments
   • Access and behavior protocols for each specific site
   • Languages and cultural competencies relevant to the communities served
   • Protocols governing behavior, dress, and conduct within sacred spaces including restrictions on weapons in certain sacred areas

Site arrangements retained for review

3. The following specific arrangements are constitutionally established for sites of particular complexity:

The Western Wall: The Western Wall is a site of sacred significance to the Jewish people in all their diversity of practice and denomination. Access and prayer arrangements shall reflect this diversity:

• A designated section for men only, in accordance with traditional Orthodox Jewish practice
• A designated section for women only, in accordance with traditional Orthodox Jewish practice
• The remainder of the Wall, constituting the majority of its accessible length, shall be open to prayer and access for all genders, all Jewish denominations, and respectful visitors of all faiths
• No single Jewish denomination shall have exclusive administrative authority over the Wall as a whole
• The Authority shall ensure that all sections are maintained with equal dignity and resources

The Cave of the Patriarchs / Ibrahimi Mosque — Hebron: This site is sacred to both Jewish and Muslim communities as the traditional burial place of the patriarchs and matriarchs. Its administration shall reflect its shared significance:

• The site shall be administered as one unified holy place under the Authority's jurisdiction, not physically divided into permanently separate sections
• The Authority's specialized security and cultural team shall determine access arrangements for specific dates of religious significance where temporary alternative arrangements may be necessary
• The default arrangement on all other days shall be shared access to the full site
• The physical division imposed following the 1994 massacre shall be dissolved during Stage Two of the transition, with unified administration replacing it, subject to security arrangements certified as adequate by the Authority

Controlling continuation rules

Article 19 requires two-thirds of full authorized Council membership plus support of a majority of represented faith delegations. Each delegation supports by a majority of its full authorized membership; fractional two-thirds rounds upward and majority exceeds half. Permanent material worship, stewardship, or access changes also require each directly and substantially affected delegation’s majority. The limited emergency exception to advance affected-delegation approval carries neutrality, proportionality, immediate-necessity duration, prompt reconsideration, explanation when safe, and immediate judicial review. Implementing composition procedures may not artificially split or consolidate delegations to manipulate votes. No existing site arrangement or training proposal overrides these rules.