From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 11, 2025
Antiquities Authority cleans anti-war graffiti off Western Wall
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleRossella Tercatin is The Times of Israel's archaeology and religions reporter.
Israel Antiquities Authority conservation experts have removed spray-painted slogans from the Western Wall, the IAA says in a statement.
This morning, an IAA Conservation Division team spotted the graffiti reading “There is a Holocaust in Gaza” sprayed near the egalitarian prayer area known as Ezrat Yisrael, an area separate from the main Western Wall plaza familiar to most visitors.
The experts worked to remove the graffiti using materials that do not harm the surface of the stones. By mid-afternoon, the writing was removed entirely, the authority says.
“Damage to antiquities sites constitutes a serious violation of the law and, of course, of our shared cultural heritage,” says Ami Shahar, head of the IAA Conservation Division. “The offense is all the more severe when it concerns the Western Wall – a site of immense historical, cultural, and religious significance.”
Similar graffiti was also sprayed on Jerusalem’s Great Synagogue on King George’s Street.
A 27-year-old suspect was arrested by police. According to Hebrew media, he suffers from mental health issues.
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