A stone weighing about 5 tons from the Western Wall that had been on display for many years at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, was returned to Jerusalem on Monday. The decision to return the stone to an area near the other stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City was made after a request by the rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, to Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Over the past year, Israel’s chief rabbis and the rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites called for the ancient Western Wall stones to be returned to a designated genizah at their original site. The Chief Rabbinate Council convened at the Western Wall to discuss the matter, and at the end of the meeting it was decided that the Israel Antiquities Authority, together with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, would return all Western Wall stones still on display. These include stones placed at the President’s Residence, the Israel Museum and Israel Antiquities Authority warehouses. A stone also was placed at Ben Gurion Airport.
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From right, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Israel Katz, Rabbi Meir Porush, Eli Escusido with returned stone
(Photo: The Western Wall Heritage Foundation)
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The stone is returned to its home in the Old City of Jerusalem
(Photo: The Western Wall Heritage Foundation)
It was also decided to preserve the stones’ sanctity, including fencing around the genizah site and instructions to the public to avoid using them.
Katz said at a ceremony held near the Western Wall upon return of the stone: “The stones of the Western Wall belong to the Western Wall, and therefore it was clear that the stone should be returned to its natural place alongside the rest of its stones in Jerusalem’s Old City. Every stone carries the story of the Jewish people, from prayer and hope, through destruction, to the strength and renewed sovereignty of the State of Israel. The return of the stone today expresses our commitment to Jerusalem and the Western Wall forever, and the clear promise: 'This home will not be destroyed again.'”
Rabinovitch said that their return is much more than physical. “The stones of the Western Wall are not merely stones. They carry the soul of the Jewish people, the pain of exile and the joy of return. Even when people sought to bring some of this holiness into the heart of the state’s decision-making centers, its natural place is here, in its original home. The return of the stone today is not only a physical return, but a reconnection to the deep foundations that hold the entire nation.”
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On display for many years at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv
(Photo: Neta Dabah, Ministry of Defense)
Israel Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido said he is committed to the return of the stones. “The Israel Antiquities Authority, the Heritage Ministry and Minister Amichai Eliyahu are committed to acting on matters of sanctity with respect for Jewish tradition and in accordance with the ruling of Israel’s chief rabbis, who determined that the stones of the Western Wall have special sanctity. Accordingly, the authority will work to return all the stones for eternal genizah in their place alongside the other sacred stones," he said.
First published: 23:26, 05.04.26