As he nears the end of his term, General Michael Kurilla, Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), visited and prayed at the Western Wall this morning (Friday).
He was welcomed by the rabbi of the Western Wall and the holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, and the director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, who explained the sacred site’s deep significance to the Jewish people—as a center of prayer, hope, and yearning through the generations—and its particularly profound meaning in these difficult times for the people of Israel. The two expressed their gratitude to the general for his steadfast and determined support of the State of Israel.
During the visit, they offered joint prayers for the success of the militaries of Israel and the United States, for the safety of soldiers and security forces, for the return of the hostages, and for peace in both Israel and the United States.
The rabbi told the general that God would repay him for his great assistance to the Jewish people and the State of Israel. The general responded emotionally: “My mother always told me that for my support of Israel, God will repay me,” and noted that although this is his 40th visit to Israel, it is the first time he has visited the Western Wall.
The general also toured the new “Gateway to Heaven” presentation, recently opened to the public, as well as the new excavations beneath the Western Wall Plaza, where he was shown impressive archaeological findings from the Second Temple period uncovered at the site.
At the end of the visit, he placed a note between the stones of the Wall and signed the guest book: “Thank you for a fantastic visit to the Western Wall. May you find peace.”