The Officer in Charge of the Western Wall: 'We Have Alerts, But Our Main Concern Is One Thing'

"We are about to enter the festival of Sukkot with great fear, but also with satisfaction and eager anticipation," says Superintendent Eyal Avraham, the officer for holy sites of the 'David Precinct' in Jerusalem District, and according to him, these feelings do not contradict each other.

Superintendent Avraham is responsible, by virtue of his role, for the unit for holy places which includes the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In simpler terms, he is the one who welcomes the many people who come to the Western Wall and the area during Sukkot and is required to ensure their safety and security.

Preparing and Excited

"It is true that during the festival of Sukkot we are on high alert, deploying our forces at a very high level," notes Superintendent Avraham, "but because the area is more sensitive and important than any other area in Jerusalem and outside it, it requires us to deploy many forces throughout the year. There is never a routine for us, there are always alerts, concerns, and we need to be prepared all the time."

But if we talk about the hottest times of the year, Superintendent Avraham says they are undoubtedly during the Tishrei holidays and during Ramadan. "These are days when many citizens from all over the country come to the area, alongside many tourists and people from various religions. Our role is to allow everyone to practice their religion as they see fit, and to ensure the security of their person and property."

Ultimately, he notes that the preparations are always based on past lessons, as well as on a correct analysis of the situation on the ground and the timing of events. "When people come to the Wall, they see the many soldiers and police forces and think to themselves: 'How wonderful that they take care of our security,' without even realizing they see only the tip of the iceberg, as there is also extensive activity behind the scenes that includes a lot of intelligence work alongside observations and activities carried out covertly. Of course, we also work with the Border Police and the IDF, doing everything shoulder to shoulder."

(Photo: Police Spokesperson)

And what about during the days before Sukkot?

"We are now at the peak of the preparations. We have already passed through the Selichot days throughout the month of Elul, which surprised us every night with very high numbers of worshippers, especially on Thursdays, when they reached real peaks. Yom Kippur was also a significant challenge for us, with masses of worshippers arriving at the end of the holiday. There were thousands, and all of them received the full necessary response in terms of security, as well as in traffic safety and convenient arrangements, ensuring no one would be harmed."

Ahead of Sukkot, Superintendent Avraham notes that they are preparing for a large number of pilgrims, which is expected to surpass previous years, as this year there are five weekdays during Chol Hamoed when it is possible to reach the Wall using transportation services. "We estimate tens of thousands will arrive here daily, and we are prepared for this on all levels and in all places. A very large groundwork has been done, with deep analyses and preparation even for unexpected events related to traffic and crowding arrangements, and of course, above all, there is the security issue. We hope and pray that no security incident will occur, but we are prepared for the unfortunate event that it might, knowing how to respond correctly so that anyone who comes to the Old City will find determined and professional officers who are well acquainted with their duties, and they are full of mission and responsibility."

"Need Public Help"

What will happen in the event of overcrowding? Could there be a situation where there is no room at the Wall for the many worshippers?

"From past experiences, we know such situations may arise. The intention is not that there will be a lack of physical space, but that there will be a danger due to the great crowding, especially before the priestly blessings or other events scheduled to take place at the Wall. We are aware of this and prepared to manage the public in a way that does not make crowding a hindrance."

(Photo: shutterstock)

In previous years, there were instances where people arrived at the Wall but were stopped at checkpoints and were not allowed to proceed due to the crowding. Could this happen again this year?

"If needed, we will set up checkpoints, and we expect the public to be patient and understand that we do not intend to prevent them from coming to pray, but we delay them a bit because we care about their safety."

What about security alerts? Are there any?

"There will always be alerts, especially during the holiday seasons when our enemies wish to disrupt our festive atmosphere. We are on high alert, ensuring a proper analysis and operational and intelligence preparation. Our greatest fear is of a lone assailant, Heaven forbid, whose arrival cannot be predicted. These incidents always surprise, but with proper practice and appropriate preparedness, we pray and hope we can stop even such cases. This is also an opportunity to ask the public to keep a watchful eye and be alert. We do not expect you to solve the problem, but to inform the police, and we will make sure to arrive and respond as quickly as possible."

And, of course, we must ask: What do your personal holiday days look like? Do you even get to experience them with your family?

"My holiday days are summed up by seeing the multitude of the people of Israel coming to the Western Wall and the Old City. That is my greatest holiday joy. It is a time when I and my family are aware that I have to pay the price, to give up family time and dedicate my time to the public. This is the place to wish the whole house of Israel a happy holiday and to pray together that just as we passed Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in peace, we will also pass Sukkot and Simchat Torah joyously."