Vandals targeted Judaism's holiest prayer site Monday morning when they spray-painted inflammatory graffiti comparing the Gaza war to the Holocaust directly onto the ancient stones of the Western Wall complex, prompting immediate calls for police investigation from religious authorities.
The red graffiti reads "There is a Holocaust in Gaza" and was discovered Monday morning on the southern section of the Western Wall, prompting immediate condemnation from religious authorities.
Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz responded harshly to the vandalism, stating, "A holy place is not a place to express protests of any kind, and sevenfold when this is done at the holiest place for the entire Jewish people. The police must investigate this act, locate the criminals who desecrated the holy site, and bring them to justice."
The incident marks another case of vandalism at Judaism's most sacred site. A similar incident previously occurred on the northern side of the Western Wall, leading to comprehensive halachic discussions about removing writing from the wall's ancient stones.
A 27-year-old Jerusalem resident was arrested by police. Police detained, questioned, and released the suspect under restrictive conditions after seeking prosecutorial approval for charges of religious offense. The investigation revealed that earlier in the night, the suspect had committed a similar act on the wall of Jerusalem's Great Synagogue in the city center, where he spray-painted several related messages.
