Privatization, Thick Sites, and the Women of the Wall

This chapter analyzes the model of privatization, which keeps the state unaffiliated with any given denomination via a strict “hands off” approach toward religions. It attempts to reduce governmental entanglement with religion both by strictly limiting the role religion can play in political institutions and by respecting the autonomy of religions. It examines the applicability of privatization to thick sites in general and the Western Wall in particular. The main argument is that the most adequate governmental response for the Women of the Wall case, as well as for similar religious conflicts, is context-sensitive privatization . This approach is a promising framework for managing struggles over thick sites, because among other considerations, it is egalitarian, protects religious believers from the state, and unburdens the government from an entanglement with diverse religious beliefs.

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