Thousands of Israelis flocked on Wednesday to the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem — a spiritually significant site for Jewish people — to “cry out, plead, and invoke heavenly mercy upon all of Israel,” particularly for those still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
More than 50,000 people thronged the alleyways of the prayer site, according to i24 News.
A cohort of chief rabbis, prominent Jewish faith leaders, religious organizations, and loved ones of those still held hostage by the terrorist group called on the people of Israel to join them in prayer for God’s mercy and protection.
“We pray for God’s mercy on Klal Yisrael, for the healing of the wounded bodies and souls, for the success of the IDF soldiers and the security forces, for the safe return of the hostages,” they said in a joint statement, All Israel News reported.
The request for prayer was clearly well-received.
One man, Emmanuel Ohaiun, who came from Israel’s northern border, said, “I’m 69, so I don’t serve in the army, but the call to this prayer is my draft order. There is the war on the ground, and there is holy warfare that I came to fight.”
The massive prayer rally was live-streamed on YouTube:
Shmuel Rabinovitch, rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Places, opened the service.
In his invocation, he prayed, “Hear us, merciful and compassionate God… Look upon us standing here in unity. There are no [different] tribes or camps here, we learned our lesson. We are standing before you as one man, with a united heart, and we have no one to lean on other than you, Master of the Universe.”
It is believed some 136 Israelis are still being held hostage by Hamas, the terrorist group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7 of last year. Please continue to pray for those held captive and for the state of Israel.
