As Israel’s children prepared to go back to school September 1, a Thursday High Court hearing over the Western Wall pluralistic pavilion gave the state some homework.

In the decision handed down Thursday night, the state was told it must “inform the court by September 14, 2017 whether it is willing to reconsider the implementation of the Western Wall framework decision, which was ‘frozen’ in a government decision on June 25, 2017.” […]

In a bizarre twist in Thursday’s short decision, the state was told that if it decides not to reconsider the Western Wall plan’s freeze, it must also answer by September 14 “whether there is a legal option [for the court] to obligate the state to implement the Western Wall decision.”

On Thursday, the petitioners and respondents were asked by the court: Has the government fulfilled the 2003 decision’s directive to make a “proper prayer space” at Robinson’s Arch. And, if not, whether the Western Wall framework was the solution. […]

“Without making any determination on this matter, we are aware that the implementation of the Western Wall framework did not make all petitions unnecessary. It is quite possible that during the proceedings, interim decisions will be given and not a final ruling which deals with all the claims that were raised,” reads the decision.

Assuming the state does not request a continuance, the other petitioners and respondents will have the right to respond to the state’s September 14 answer until September 28.