Thousands flock to Western Wall for Priestly Blessing

Thousands of Israelis flocked to the Western Wall in Jerusalem Wednesday for the traditional biannual Priestly Blessing.

The ceremony sees male descendants of the Kohanic priestly caste gathering to recite a benediction. It is performed daily by devout Jews at synagogues throughout Israel, while mass blessings at the Western Wall take place on the festivals of Passover and Sukkot.

The Western Wall is the closest spot to the Temple Mount where Jews can legally pray. Though they are allowed to visit the Mount, where two ancient Jewish temples stood, Jews are not permitted to pray there according to the status quo in place for decades.

: Jewish men perform the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

: A Jewish worshiper holds the four plant species as he attends the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

: Jewish men perform the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (AFP Photo/Menahem Kahana)

: Illustrative: Jewish worshipers hold up the Torah scroll at the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

: Jewish men perform the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (AFP Photo/Menahem Kahana)

: Jewish worshipers hold the four plant species as they attend the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

: Illustrative: A Jewish worshiper holds the four plant species as he attends the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

: Jewish men perform the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (AFP Photo/Menahem Kahana)

: Jewish men perform the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (AFP Photo/Menahem Kahana)

: A Jewish worshiper holds the four plant species as he attends the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (AFP Photo/Menahem Kahana)

: Worshipers at the annual priestly blessing at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem during the Sukkot holiday, October 8, 2017. (Israel Police)

: A Jewish worshiper holds the four plant species as he attends the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (AFP Photo/Menahem Kahana)

: Police on duty at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (Israel Police)

: Worshipers at the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (Israel Police)

: Worshipers at the annual priestly blessing during the Sukkot holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on October 8, 2017. (Israel Police)

Jewish visits to the Mount, today the site of the Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, often spark tensions, and the blessing ceremony took place amid tight security.

Police said that a large number of officers were deployed around the city on Thursday, in particular at “flashpoints,” in order to “keep order” and ensure “the safety and well-being of the public,” as well the ability of “various groups to exercise their right to freedom of religion and worship.”