BICOM

Despite the calm as the Passover holiday began this weekend, security forces have remained on high alert, and heavily deployed, ahead of today’s Priestly Blessing ceremony at the Western Wall.

The mass ceremony at the Wall, which is only performed on this scale twice a year, attracted 50,000 Jewish worshippers last year. As one of Judaism’s three ancient Pilgrimage festivals, worshippers flock to the Old City of Jerusalem to be blessed by members of the Jewish priestly caste. The ceremony involves the priests facing the people and raising their hands while reciting the Biblical formula in Numbers 6:24-26.

The Western Wall plaza, below the Temple Mount, is vulnerable to stones and other objects being thrown by Palestinians on the Mount itself.

The police presence in Jerusalem has been increased to secure the event and the higher number of tourists and Jewish worshippers in the city throughout the seven-day Passover festival. Some 3500 police officers will be patrolling the city, according to a report in the Times of Israel. The Kingdom of Jordan complained to Israel about the enhanced security measures.

Police are also working hard to maintain calm on the Temple Mount. Thirteen Jewish visitors to the Mount were removed by police last week for disturbing the peace. Last week, the police also arrested seven Jewish men who had planned to sacrifice goats in an attempt to restart the ancient practice of the Paschal Lamb. Three goats were also confiscated by the police.

A planned “Priestesses’ Blessing”, organised by campaign group Women of the Wall, has been banned by Attorney General Avichai Mandelbilt. Women of the Wall, a group that campaigns against control of the Western Wall by Orthodox Jewish customs, announced a few weeks ago that they would hold the first ever such ceremony at the Wall. The ceremony was deemed to be a provocation and in breach of Israeli law, which says that religious sites must be used according to the local religious customs.

There has been a dramatic reduction in the number of terror attacks against Israelis after a months-long wave of stabbings. However, tensions remain high after last week’s bombing of a bus in Jerusalem, which left 20 people wounded. The bomber, who died in the attack, was a member of Hamas.