Western Wall

As the Middle East prepares for war, do not forget Iran's brave protesters - opinion

All of this began not with Iranians who took the streets, not protesting against uranium enrichment or ballistic missiles, but for freedom, liberty, and basic rights.

|ByYAAKOV KATZ
A demonstrator holds a burning photo of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Paris, France, January 11, 2026
A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, in the foreground as the Dome of the Rock, located on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, is seen in the background.

‘Enough is enough!’: Holy sites bill sparks religious power struggle - analysis

A bill amending the Law for the Protection of Holy Places passed a preliminary vote, boosting the Chief Rabbinate’s authority and reigniting debate over religion, state power, and Diaspora ties.

|ByGABRIEL COLODRO/THE MEDIA LINE
Ultra-orthodox Jewish men talk on the phone in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City on December 4, 2025.

Should control of the Western Wall be delegated to one sect of Judaism over another? - editorial

With already strained Jewish unity, a recent Knesset vote sends a message that Israel is prepared to legislate one stream of Judaism’s authority over a site that carries meaning for all.

|ByJPOST EDITORIAL
A Jewish woman prays at the Little Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, February 18, 2026

Knesset advances bill granting Chief Rabbinate authority over Western Wall prayer

The bill passed by a margin of 56-47 and will now be discussed in Knesset committee meetings. It will still need to undergo three more plenum readings to become a law. 

|ByKESHET NEEV

IDF lone soldiers mark bar and bat mitzvah at Western Wall, including some family surprises

The event was organized by Ach Gadol (Big Brother for Lone Soldiers), a nonprofit that provides one-on-one mentorship and community support for soldiers serving in Israel without immediate family.

FEBRUARY 23, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Kidist Mengistu, a lone soldier from Ethiopia, was surprised by her mother at the Western Wall for bat mitzvah ceremony, Februrary 23, 2026.

Coalition lawmakers vow to advance bill granting Chief Rabbinate authority over Western Wall prayer

A new bill aims to give the Chief Rabbinate control over Western Wall prayer arrangements, with coalition lawmakers pushing for its passage.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026ByKESHET NEEV
A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, in the foreground as the Dome of the Rock, located on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, is seen in the background.

High Court empowers anti-Zionists at Judaism’s holiest site - opinion

While Israeli soldiers fight for their lives, the High Court grants the Reform movement's extremists a foothold at the Western Wall, undermining Israel.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026ByAMICHAI ELIYAHU
A FAMILY prays at the section of the Kotel designated for non-Orthodox worship.

It's time for the Western Wall to be a home for every Jew - opinion

The Western Wall belongs to every Jew, and it’s time Israel honors equality, pluralism, and shared heritage.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026ByYOCHI RAPPEPORT
A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in the foreground and the Dome of the Rock, located on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in the background June 24, 2019

Israel must advance permits for egalitarian Western Wall plaza, High Court orders

The ruling followed a hearing earlier last week, during which justices pressed state and municipal representatives over why worshippers at the egalitarian section still cannot reach the Wall.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026BySARAH BEN-NUN
A Jewish woman covered in a white prayer shawl prays in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, during the Jewish holiday of Passover, April 2, 2018

High Court grills state, Jerusalem over years-long holdup at egalitarian Western Wall Plaza

The “Kotel Agreement,” a compromise approved by the government in January 2016, has been systematically pushed and held up by the government and the Jerusalem municipality.

FEBRUARY 17, 2026BySARAH BEN-NUN
A FAMILY prays at the section of the Kotel designated for non-Orthodox worship.

Jews pray on Jerusalem's Temple Mount as decades-old status quo begins to shift

Police are allowing limited Jewish prayer on Temple Mount, marking the most significant shift to the status quo since 1967 - and stirring quiet tension on one of the world’s most contested sites.

FEBRUARY 13, 2026ByLINDA GRADSTEIN
THE TEMPLE MOUNT, which Muslims call the Haram al-Sharif, is holy to both Jews and Muslims and has been a flashpoint since 1967.

Israel uncovers Second Temple-period mikveh beneath Western Wall

The ritual bath was found sealed beneath a layer of destruction dated to 70 CE, in which researchers found burned ash and numerous artifacts that offer a snapshot of life just before the city fell.

DECEMBER 29, 2025ByJOANIE MARGULIES
THE RITUAL purification bath (mikveh) from the Second Temple period.

Over 100 Holocaust survivors light fifth Hanukkah candle at Western Wall in ceremony of resilience

Claims Conference and Western Wall Heritage Foundation hosted the ninth annual event honoring survivors, October 7 victims, and the fight against rising antisemitism.

DECEMBER 19, 2025BySHIR PERETS
Some 120 Holocaust survivors lit the fifth Hanukkah candle at the Western Wall, December 18, 2025.

PM Netanyahu visits Western Wall to light second Hanukkah candle, speaks to IDF soldiers

Netanyahu said that the soldiers had fought a war of "the people of culture, the people of light against the people of darkness," that they were winning and performing miracles through their bravery.

DECEMBER 16, 2025ByTZVI JASPER
PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara visit the Western Wall to light the second candle of Hanukkah, 15 December 2025.