Kotel

High Court postpones joint protest and Kotel hearings to Friday, resets filing deadlines

The petitions involve wartime restrictions on anti-war demonstrations and the number of worshippers allowed at the Western Wall.

Israelis attend a protest against the current Israeli government and the ongoing war with Iran, at haBima Square in Tel Aviv, April 4, 2026.
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

Western Wall debate must not overshadow prayer, unity during times of war - opinion

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

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


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.

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.

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 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.

 A FAMILY prays at the section of the Kotel designated for non-Orthodox worship.

Temple Mount’s delicate balance tested as Jewish prayer, Ramadan crowds meet

For decades after 1967, the Temple Mount was defined by a simple rule: Jews could visit but not pray. Small but meaningful changes are quietly shifting that balance.

Temple Mount

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.

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

'I never had a bar mitzvah,' lone soldiers from Ethiopia to celebrate at the Western Wall

The ceremony is expected to bring together soldiers and soldiers without immediate family in Israel, many of whom immigrated alone and joined the Israel Defense Forces.

Soldiers praying at the Kotel in 2013.

Beyond the Headlines: Moments at Ben-Gurion Airport, the Kotel - opinion

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

Passengers at the Ben Gurion International airport near Tel Aviv on September 18, 2025.

Forty-eight IDF orphans mark bnei mitzvah at Western Wall

Forty-eight children who lost a parent in IDF service marked their bnei mitzvah at the Western Wall in a ceremony of unity and remembrance.

An IDF orphan, wearing a beret from the Nachal Brigade, celebrating his bar mitzvah at the Kotel in Jerusalem, October 20, 2025.

The future of our people: Strength, love, safety in our youth - opinion

Before arriving at the Old City, we made a series of remarkable stops that reminded us of the richness of our heritage, the resilience of our people, and the vitality of our state.

 Central Selichot services at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. August 24, 2023

Beyond the headlines: Where will you be for the holiday prayer?

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news

The sign at the entrance to the Old City