western wall Archives – J-Wire

Zionist Federation states Kotel must remain a home for the whole Jewish people

J-Wire Newsdesk — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 08:04:32 +0000

The Zionist Federation of Australia has raised concern about proposed legislation before Israel’s parliament that would place prayer arrangements at the Western Wall under the authority of the Chief Rabbinate, as Progressive and Masorti groups warn the move could criminalise non-Orthodox worship. ZFA President Jeremy Leibler said the issue goes to the core of Israel’s […]

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Knesset advances bill cementing Orthodox control of Western Wall

Rob Klein — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 05:15:26 +0000

Israel’s Knesset has advanced controversial legislation that would place prayer arrangements at the Western Wall under the exclusive control of the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate, prompting a sharp response from mixed-gender non-Orthodox Jewish leaders in Israel and abroad. Lawmakers approved the bill in a preliminary reading on Wednesday by 56 votes to 47. The proposal, sponsored […]

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Engineers inspect Jerusalem’s Western Wall as surge of visitors expected for high holidays

Pesach Benson — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 17:15:34 +0000

As Jews prepare for the upcoming High Holidays, engineers on Tuesday began getting the holy site ready for the thousands of visitors expected. The engineers, working for the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which administers the site’s daily affairs, examined the integrity of the stones of the Western Wall, removing loose stones and seasonal plants. The […]

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Half a million people visited Jerusalem’s Western Wall despite tensions

Pesach Benson — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 07:43:57 +0000

Despite security tensions with Palestinians on the Temple Mount, “about half a million people” visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem during the week-long holiday of Passover. “We conclude the holiday with great appreciation for the Israel Police and the security forces who worked day and night to protect the citizens of Israel and those visiting […]

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Jewish Agency collects prayers to place in Western Wall ahead of Yom Kippur

JNS — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 04:28:32 +0000

An effort to help Jews who due to coronavirus restrictions cannot visit Jerusalem this holiday season.

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Groups petition Israeli High Court for expanded Western Wall egalitarian prayer section

Agencies — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 01:15:52 +0000

The Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Israel, the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, and the Women of the Wall prayer rights group brought a petition to Israel’s High Court of Justice in an effort to force the expansion of the existing egalitarian prayer section at the Western Wall. The petitioners are requesting that the […]

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‘Donald John Trump, Western Wall’ train station approved for construction

J-Wire — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 07:56:51 +0000

The project was approved on Tuesday when Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz accepted recommendations issued by the steering committee of Israel Railways to construct a train station in Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter.

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New portions of Western Wall and Roman theatre unveiled in Jerusalem

Agencies — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 22:22:59 +0000

The Israel Antiquity Authority (IAA) has announced large-scale excavations conducted in the Old City of Jerusalem for the past two years have revealed massive portions of the Western Wall unseen for 1,700 years, as well as an ancient Roman theatre.

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“Jewish People have no connection to the Western Wall” – UNESCO

J-Wire Staff — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 22:32:06 +0000

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed a UNESCO decision claiming the Jewish People have no connection to the Temple Mount or the Western Wall.

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