A Jerusalem judge on Monday ordered the release of a 27-year-old Jewish man accused of spray-painting anti-war graffiti on the Western Wall in Jerusalem, rejecting police requests to keep him in custody and ban him from the holy site.
The inscription, reading “There is a Holocaust in Gaza,” was found Monday morning spray-painted on the southern section of the Western Wall opposite the Ezrat Yisrael egalitarian prayer area. Police, with the approval of the State Attorney’s Office, opened an investigation and arrested a 27-year-old Jewish suspect. They sought to keep him in custody for five days, but a judge ordered his release.
Footage of vandal spray-painting graffiti on the stones of the Western Wall
(Video: Israel Police)
Judge Meir Troper, noting the man’s medical records and testimony from relatives about his mental health struggles, said there was no danger in the case and called it “a sad case.” When police requested to ban the suspect from the Western Wall, the judge replied, “I do not ban Jews from the Wall.”
Investigators said the man, an ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem resident, had also sprayed a similar slogan on the wall of the Great Synagogue in central Jerusalem the previous night. He admitted to the acts, apologized and was brought to Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, where police sought to extend his detention. Authorities also learned he had recently sprayed graffiti on a memorial photo of an IDF soldier in Tel Aviv, for which he was investigated and released.
Police initially said the suspect would be released under restrictive conditions, believing he posed no danger, but reversed course before he left the station, deciding to request his detention. His family contacted Sephardi Chief Rabbi David Yosef’s office, explaining that he suffers from severe mental illness and has a history of hospitalization.
“My son is in a serious psychiatric state and would not have done this in normal circumstances," his father told Ynet. "He is a good, kind person, and we love him. I completely disavow his actions; it is a disgrace.”
Public defender Erez Bar-Tzvi, representing the suspect, said: “This is a young man with mental health challenges who apparently acted due to his condition. He should never have been brought to court, and the police initially agreed. Later, under puzzling circumstances, they changed their stance. We welcome the court’s decision to deny the police request and release him on the sole condition that he report to a psychiatric hospital.”
The graffiti was removed by Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA)conservation staff, using water-based materials to avoid damaging the ancient stones.
Workers clean graffiti off the Western Wall in the egalitarian section
(Video: Israel Antiquities Authority)
“Defacing archaeological sites is a serious offense,” said IAA Conservation Division Head Ami Shahar. “It is all the more serious when it concerns the Western Wall, a site of immense historical, cultural and religious significance.”
Jerusalem district archaeologist Dr. Amit Re’em noted ongoing research and protection efforts at the site. "We continue to investigate the Western Wall from every aspect and discover new characteristics of it all the time. At the same time, through ongoing activity, we are working to prevent damage to it and ensure that everyone can continue to be amazed by this wonder," Re'em said.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Western Wall and Jerusalem's holy sites, condemned the act. “A holy site is not a place for protests of any kind, all the more so when it is the holiest place for the Jewish people. The police must investigate, find those responsible for this desecration and bring them to justice,” he said.
Rakefet Ginsberg, executive director of the Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Israel, condemned the vandalism. “For seven years, there has been no access to the Western Wall stones in the egalitarian section, and last night a serious security lapse allowed graffiti to be sprayed on them. Families who arrived in the morning to celebrate bar and bat mitzvahs at the egalitarian plaza were horrified to see the graffiti. We are appalled by this vile act and call on the authorities to respond firmly," she demanded.
“I strongly condemn this serious act committed at the Western Wall — the holiest place for the Jewish people," said Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion. "There is no, and will be no, place for harming the national and spiritual symbol of the Jewish people, whatever the background. Protest cannot justify desecrating a holy site and offending the feelings of millions of Jews in Israel and around the world. I expect Israel Police to act decisively to locate the perpetrators and bring them to justice. Jerusalem will continue to preserve its sanctity and the dignity of holy sites for all religions.”
Political leaders also condemned the vandalism. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he was "shocked to see the harm and disrespect shown toward the holiest site of the Jewish people — the Western Wall. Israel Police will act with lightning speed to arrest the perpetrator and bring him to justice.”
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'There is a Holocaust in Gaza' graffiti painted on the wall of the Great Synagogue in central Jerusalem
(Photo: Israel Police)
Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin, who is also acting minister for religious services, said he was "deeply shocked by the graffiti sprayed on the Western Wall stones. This is a vile desecration of the remnant of our Temple. I condemn it strongly and expect law enforcement to prioritize this investigation and fully prosecute those responsible.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the perpetrators “have forgotten what it means to be Jewish,” adding: “These ancient stones are steeped in our people’s long history — of building, destruction, blood, persecution, the Holocaust, and then rebuilding and revival. Anyone capable of defiling them with sick antisemitic blood libels has forgotten what it means to be a Jew.”
Opposition lawmakers also voiced outrage. Opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote: “I strongly condemn the graffiti at the Western Wall. This is not protest, it is desecration. I call on the police to prosecute those responsible.”
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Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Western Wall and the Jerusalem's holy sites, inspects the stones after restoration
(Photo: The Western Wall Heritage Foundation)
Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz wrote: “Vandalizing the Western Wall stones, the holiest site of the Jewish people, is a crime against the entire nation of Israel. The police must investigate and bring the criminals to justice. Our holy sites must remain above all dispute.”
The Democrats MK Gilad Kariv called it "a disgraceful act that offends Jews from all communities and streams.”
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World Zionist Organization Chairman Yaakov Hagoel noted that "the Western Wall is the Jewish people’s holy site, beyond dispute, and we as a society must preserve and respect its importance to Jews around the world. We face a global wave of antisemitism reminiscent of the days before the Holocaust, so here in Israel, we must safeguard our unity and our holy sites. The Wall is an inseparable part of our Jewish identity.”
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Bat Mitzvah celebrations at the Western Wall's Ezrat Yisrael egalitarian plaza
(Photo: The Western Wall Heritage Foundation)
There have been similar incidents in the past. In 2019, graffiti was sprayed on the “Little Western Wall,” an exposed section located in the Muslim Quarter. In the past, graffiti was sprayed directly on the Western Wall itself, requiring experts to use special materials to remove the paint without stripping layers from the ancient stones.
The Western Wall, constructed during the reign of Herod the Great in the late first century BCE, was built using a distinctive engineering method. While only 53 meters of the wall are visible in today’s prayer plaza, the structure is part of a series of four retaining walls encircling the Temple Mount. Its massive limestone blocks, some weighing from dozens to hundreds of tons, are held in place solely by their immense weight.