After a large stone that had been part of the Western Wall, weighing about 5 tons, was placed in an exhibition at Ben Gurion Airport, Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz is demanding that it be returned to its place alongside other Western Wall stones. The rabbi says it is a stone from the Western Wall that was previously displayed in the Knesset. However, the Israel Antiquities Authority said it is a stone taken from the Temple Mount.
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Moving the 5 ton original Western Wall Stone to its place at Ben Gurion Airport
(Photo: Emil Aljem, Israel Antiquities Authority)
In a letter sent Thursday to the speaker of the Knesset, the deputy minister of Transportation, the director general of the Ministry of Heritage and the director general of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Rabinowitz wrote: "The stones of the Western Wall are sacred, and with all the desire to present Jewish history and the heritage of Israel, Western Wall stones should not be removed for this purpose."
The rabbi added: "There is no place for a stone from the Western Wall in the Knesset or anywhere else. Its place is among the stones of the Wall, stored next to the Western Wall." At the end of his letter, the rabbi demanded that the stone be immediately returned from the airport and placed next to the stones of the wall.
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The stone from the Old City of Jerusalem is part of the Eternity of Israel exhibition. This is a new exhibition inaugurated Wednesday on the Departures Boulevard at Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport. The Israel Antiquities Authority said that the exhibition will be displayed on the Departures Boulevard at Ben Gurion Airport until the end of 2025.
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Original Western Wall stone arrives at Ben Gurion Airport
(Photo: Emil Aljem, Israel Antiquities Authority)
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Five-ton Western Wall rock goes on display
(Photo: Emil Aljem, Israel Antiquities Authority)
At the same time, the Foreign Ministry is planning to fly a stone from the Western Wall abroad. Last month, it was revealed on Ynet that the Foreign Ministry intends to fly a stone from the Western Wall to Japan in a special operation, so that it can be displayed at the Osaka Expo fair. This is a huge fair, which is expected to attract about 28 million visitors over about six months. The stone will be removed, with the assistance of the Israel Antiquities Authority, from the southern area of the Western Wall. The cost of flying the Western Wall stone to Japan will cost $32,525 round trip.
The Expo will open on April 13 in Osaka. A preliminary delegation from the Foreign Ministry has already visited the site, in preparation for the construction of the Israeli pavilion.