A Jerusalem Magistrate Court judge has ordered that a man accused of vandalizing the Kosel and the Great Synagogue with politically charged graffiti be committed to a psychiatric ward.

The graffiti, which read “Yesh Shoah B’Gaza” – “There is a Holocaust in Gaza,” sparked widespread outrage. Police had sought to extend the suspect’s detention by an additional five days, but the judge declined, describing the matter as a “sad case.”

Ynet reported that police also requested the suspect be barred from visiting the Kosel but the judge refused, saying, “I do not ban Jews from the Kosel.”

The suspect is reportedly a 27-year-old chareidi. His parents are said to have contacted Sephardi Chief Rabbi David Yosef to share concerns over their son’s alleged mental illness.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)