Shas and United Torah Judaism, the strictly Orthodox parties in Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, are demanding that the government cancel the agreement signed in January with the Reform and Conservative movements allowing them use of a new prayer area by the Western Wall.

In recent weeks, rabbis and Charedi politicians have attacked Reform Jews, describing them as "idolators", and denounced the agreement.

They have also warned the prime minister that they could leave the coalition if he does not make changes to the deal.

Mr Netanyahu's office said this week that he planned to honour the prayer area agreement despite the Charedi pressure. However, Likud sources said that Mr Netanyahu would try to placate his coalition partners by labelling the new prayer space a "general" enclosure, which would not imply official recognition of the non-Orthodox streams.

Another possibility is that Mr Netanyahu agrees to support new legislation proposed by the two parties, which would declare that the only official stream of Judaism is Orthodox, as interpreted by the Chief Rabbinate.