Hundreds of Orthodox Jews, including Jerusalem’s far-right deputy mayor, Aryeh King, staged a protest Sunday near Jerusalem’s Western Wall. They expressed discontent over what they called Christian worship at the sacred site.
The protest coincided with the culmination of a 21-day Christian prayer and fasting period aimed at “increasing God’s salvation promises and plans for Jerusalem and Israel,” according to the organizers. The prayers were held at the Davidson Center, an archaeological site adjacent to the Western and Southern walls of Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif that permits certain forms of Jewish worship—including mixed-gender prayers—that are prohibited at the main Western Wall Plaza due to Orthodox customs.
Footage from the protest shows police pushing demonstrators aside to allow access to the Davidson Center’s section of the Western Wall. Chants of “missionaries go home” echoed among the protesters.
Christian worship in Jerusalem bolsters Israel’s economy, attracting hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually, and promoting relations with predominantly Christian countries. Nevertheless, certain Christian groups’ proselytization efforts, including those self-identifying as Messianic Jews, have been met with strong opposition by many Israelis.
King said in a statement that he applauded the protesters’ stance against the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, which oversees the Davidson Center. He criticized the center’s decision to permit Christian worship at the site and denounced missionary activities aimed at Israeli residents.