Senior IDF officers visited the Western Wall today to prepare for next week’s Jerusalem Day celebrations in the capital.
Members of the IDF Joint Chiefs of General Staff held prayer services led by Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites, including special prayers for the State of Israel and the welfare of IDF soldiers.
Following the service members of the General Staff participated in a guided tour of the Western Wall plaza and observed archeological digs nearby.
Rabbi Rabinovitch said the IDF is a link in the chain of Jewish tradition. “Without a past, we have no future,” the rabbi said, adding that the study of history has a tremendous value for the Jewish People. “It is particularly moving to see this esteemed group, people that understand the significance of Jewish tradition,” he said.
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz said the visit reflected the values on which the IDF is built.
“We know there is a foundation to our existence, a strong base for layer upon layer of the Jewish People in history, with a special task on this earth.
The visit ended with a closed session, held in a room that was recently revealed inside the Kotel Tunnel excavation site. The generals said the site for their weekly meeting emphasised the importance of unified Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.