The Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Places, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, wrote a letter this evening (Saturday night) to the Commander of the Home Front Command, Major General Shai Klapper, requesting that he reexamine the guidelines for worshipers entering the Western Wall plaza.
At the beginning of the letter, the Western Wall Rabbi writes: "At the beginning of my words, I would like to express deep appreciation for the dedicated work of you and your people. The responsibility for protecting the home front and protecting every person is a sacred mission, and on behalf of the entire Jewish people, I thank you for the dedication and professionalism that saves lives every day.""
The Western Wall rabbi then refers to the High Court ruling that ordered the Home Front Command to authorize large gatherings for the purpose of protests and demonstrations, while the provisions for gatherings at holy sites, including the Western Wall, remained unchanged.
""I fail to understand why the right to protest is seen as more important or urgent than the right to pray," writes the Western Wall rabbi. "The Western Wall is the beating heart of the Jewish people. Precisely now, when our soldiers are fighting fiercely and in great danger, the public needs to come to the holiest place we have left since the destruction of the Temple.".
According to him, to the extent that the security reality allows other gatherings, there is a place to also allow prayer at the Western Wall Plaza: "If the security reality allows hundreds of people to gather in squares for the purpose of a demonstration, all the more so should Jews be allowed to gather at the Western Wall Plaza!""
The Western Wall rabbi asks to reexamine the guidelines and allow the public to come to the Western Wall and pray: "I would ask to review the guidelines and allow the believing public to come to the Western Wall and pray for peace with our people, our country, and our soldiers, at least under the same conditions under which other gatherings are possible. And even more so. Especially in these days, let us not give up on prayer, the source of strength and hope for all of us.".
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