Overview

• Thousands of worshippers concluded Tisha B’Av at the Western Wall and Kotel Katan with readings of Lamentations, communal kinot and unity prayers.
• Participants offered fervent pleas for national cohesion and the safe return of civilians held hostage by Hamas.
• National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Minister Isaac Wasserlauf visited the Temple Mount to advocate conquering Gaza and declaring sovereignty over the Strip.
• Observers drew parallels between contemporary political-religious rifts and the baseless hatred that Talmud tradition holds responsible for the Second Temple’s fall.
• The observance linked ancient mourning rituals to current wartime challenges, highlighting collective hopes for future redemption in ongoing conflict.