Overview

• Hebrew graffiti stating 'Yeish Shoah ba’Aza' was found on the southern section of the Western Wall near the Ezrat Yisrael prayer area early on August 11.
• Police arrested a 27-year-old Jerusalem resident who they say also defaced the Great Synagogue before custody officers spotted him near the Mughrabi Gate.
• Mayor Moshe Lion, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation condemned the desecration as an affront to Judaism’s holiest site.
• Professional teams from the Israel Antiquities Authority removed nearly all of the spray paint under rabbinic guidance, ensuring the ancient stones were not damaged.
• A court released the suspect without restrictions after his family cited severe mental health issues, and investigators are gathering more evidence for an anticipated indictment.