Birchas Kohanim took place at an almost-empty Kosel on Sunday morning due to Home Front Command regulations limiting public gatherings to up to 50 participants.

Meanwhile, while gatherings for tefillah are strictly banned, three Supreme Court justices felt that allowing hundreds of leftists to gather at anti-war protests was so important that they convened this past Shabbos and issued a ruling in defiance of Home Front Command regulations, allowing up to 600 people to participate in protests at HaBima Square in Tel Aviv. The ruling, which was also a flagrant violation of Israel’s status quo of refraining from non-emergency proceedings on Shabbos, sparked outrage, with Deputy Minister Yisrael Eichler calling the ruling “a declaration of war against the kedushas HaShabbos.”

In light of the ruling, the Rav of the Kosel, HaRav Shmuel Rabinowitz, wrote a letter to Home Front Commander Maj.-Gen. Rafi Milo, on Motzei Shabbos, requesting that the restrictions on the entry of mispallelim to the Kosel be re-examined.

“First, I wish to express deep appreciation for your dedicated work and that of your personnel,” he wrote. “The responsibility for protecting the home front and safeguarding every person is a sacred mission, and on behalf of the entire Am Ysrael, I thank you for the devotion and professionalism that saves lives every single day.”

He then referred to the Supreme Court ruling, “I can’t understand why the right to protest is perceived as more important or urgent than the right to daven. The Kosel is the beating heart of the Jewish people. Particularly now, when our soldiers are fighting with great courage and at great risk, the public needs to come to the holiest place left to us since the Churban Bayis.”

“If the security reality allows hundreds of people to gather in city squares for protests, all the more so Jews should be allowed to gather at the Kosel.”

“I request that the guidelines be reconsidered and the public be allowed to come to the Kosel and daven for the welfare of our people, our land, and our soldiers, at least under the same conditions in which other gatherings are permitted. And even more so. Davka during these days, we must not be mevateir on tefillah, our source of strength and hope.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir excoriated the Supreme Court ruling, saying: “The Supreme Court’s decision, issued on Shabbat, endangers the demonstrators, the police officers, and the soldiers. Even at Har HaBayis, the Kotel, and other holy places, the Home Front Command does not allow mispallelim to gather, but the Supreme Court, on Shabbat issues, yet another decision that harms the safety of police and citizens.”

“To allow demonstrators to ignore the law just because they are protesting against the State of Israel? To issue a decision requiring the Home Front Command and the police to respond on Shabbat within one hour?? The time has come to ask: Supreme Court judges who make such decisions, are you part of the Jewish nation?”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)