Sacred site safeguarded as activists exploit IDF uniform, politicizing holiness Israel protects for all worshippers.
On Sunday morning, during Rosh Chodesh, activists from Women of the Wall once again attempted to bring a Torah scroll into the Western Wall prayer plaza in direct violation of long-standing site regulations.
This time, the group attempted to bypass security by concealing the Torah scroll inside the bag of an Israel Defense Forces reserve soldier. Ushers conducting routine inspections discovered the scroll and removed it before it entered the plaza.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation sharply condemned the incident, stating that the group had once again chosen provocation over respect. The Foundation criticized the exploitation of IDF soldiers to breach procedures, calling it a tactic that undermines both the sanctity of the site and the dignity of the Torah.
Emphasizing its support for Israel’s soldiers, the Foundation noted that the Western Wall remains a source of strength and prayer for servicemembers. During Hanukkah alone, thousands of IDF soldiers—regular and reserve—visited the plaza to pray and give thanks at Judaism’s holiest accessible site. The Foundation reiterated its commitment to preserving holiness, order, and respect for all worshippers.
In response, Women of the Wall framed the incident as a struggle for religious freedom, invoking the Maccabees and accusing the Western Wall rabbinical authority of denying women equal religious practice.
Critics counter that freedom of worship does not include the right to violate agreed-upon rules at a national holy site, nor to politicize Torah scrolls or enlist soldiers’ uniforms as cover for confrontation. Israel’s approach, they argue, balances access with reverence—protecting a fragile sacred space from becoming a stage for ideological theatrics.
