Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites Shmuel Rabinowitz condemned Iranian missile fire toward Jerusalem on Monday after missile and interceptor fragments fell in and around the Old City, including near the Temple Mount, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Jewish Quarter, and the Western Wall.
The incident raised concern because the area contains some of the holiest sites in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, making any strike nearby especially sensitive for an international audience far beyond Israel.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Rabinowitz said Jerusalem was “a global symbol of holiness” and called any attack near sacred sites a serious violation.
“Jerusalem is a global symbol of holiness; harming the area in which the sacred sites of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are located is a grave act that has no place,” Rabinowitz said.
His remarks came after debris fell Monday evening in parts of Jerusalem’s Old City, one of the most religiously and politically sensitive areas in the world.
Rabbi warns of danger to Jerusalem’s religious sites
The Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The nearby Western Wall is Judaism’s holiest prayer site, while the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is revered by many Christians as the site of Jesus’s crucifixion and burial.
Rabinowitz said holy places should remain outside the bounds of war.
“The whole world recognizes that holy places must remain outside any conflict,” he said. “Both the State of Israel and the United States make every effort to avoid harming holy sites in Iran and Lebanon, and it is regrettable that the Iranian regime fires toward areas in Jerusalem that contain sacred places for Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.”
He ended his statement with a prayer for calm and for the safety of Jerusalem residents, Israeli civilians, and security personnel.
“We pray for quiet, for the well-being of the residents of Jerusalem and the State of Israel, for the safety of IDF soldiers and the security forces, and for the preservation of the sanctity of the city of Jerusalem,” he said.
The statement framed the incident as part of the broader danger posed when regional conflict reaches Jerusalem, a city whose religious significance gives any attack near its holy sites global resonance.