Thousands visit Western Wall, march through Jerusalem - watch
According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, some 150,000 people visited the Western Wall between Friday night and sundown on Sunday.
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMANIsraelis flock to the Western Wall on Tisha Bav
Thousands of people participated in a march through Jerusalem on Saturday night, commemorating the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av and the destruction of the First and Second Temples. According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, between Friday night and Sunday at sundown, some 150,000 people visited the Western Wall. The march was sponsored by Women in Green.Jerusalem Affairs Minister Zeev Elkin spoke during the event. He explained that one day, "this march will not only be around the Old City, but will continue to the Temple Mount."United Right co-founder Bezalel Smotrich cried out that Israel "is an independent and sovereign state, but we continue to be threatened, to fight, to struggle..."Smotrich said that the Jewish people lack their Temple."When the Romans destroyed the Temple, they changed the name of the Land of Israel to Palestine," reminded Nili Nahuri, director of Israel Forever.She said that there are those people who try to discredit the Jews' relationship to the Jewish state."In 2,000 years of exile, we got used to the goodwill of the gentiles and repeated the phrase, "Next year in Jerusalem!" "The exile should end," Nahuri continued. "Enough with the status quo: It's time for sovereignty."