The Rabbi of the Western Wall and the holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, has sent a letter to the Commander of the Home Front Command, Major General Shay Kalper, requesting a reassessment of the guidelines governing entry of worshippers to the Western Wall Plaza.
At the opening of his letter, the rabbi writes: “First, I wish to express my deep appreciation for your dedicated work and that of your staff. The responsibility of protecting the home front and safeguarding every individual is a sacred mission, and on behalf of the entire people of Israel, I thank you for your devotion and professionalism, which save lives each and every day."
Later in the letter, the rabbi refers to a High Court of Justice ruling instructing the Home Front Command to permit large gatherings for protests and demonstrations, while the restrictions on gatherings at holy sites, including the Western Wall, have remained unchanged.
“I find it difficult to understand why the right to protest is perceived as more important or more urgent than the right to pray," the rabbi writes. “The Western Wall is the beating heart of the Jewish people. Especially now, as our soldiers are fighting with great courage and under grave danger, the public needs access to the holiest place that has remained to us since the destruction of the Temple."
According to him, insofar as the security situation allows other gatherings, it should also allow prayer at the Western Wall Plaza: “If the security reality permits hundreds of people to gather in public squares for demonstrations, all the more so it should allow Jews to assemble at the Western Wall Plaza."
In conclusion, the rabbi calls for a reconsideration of the guidelines to enable the public to come and pray: “I ask that the guidelines be reexamined, and that worshippers be allowed to come to the Western Wall and pray for the welfare of our people, our land, and our soldiers - at least under the same conditions in which other gatherings are permitted, and even more so. Precisely in these days, we must not forgo prayer, the source of strength and hope for us all."