Defense Minister Orders Western Wall Stone Returned From Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

Israel’s defense minister announced Monday that an ancient stone from the Western Wall, displayed for decades at the Tel Aviv Kirya, the headquarters of Israel’s Defense Ministry and military leadership, will be returned to Jerusalem and placed in designated burial alongside other sacred stones from the site.

The decision was finalized following a discussion between Defense Minister Israel Katz and Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, during which Katz said he accepted the rabbi’s request to return the stone to its “natural place.” The stone, which has stood on display at the Kirya for many years, is expected to be transferred back to Jerusalem in the coming days. 

In recent years, the placement of stones from the Wall at government buildings and public venues has drawn increasing scrutiny from religious authorities and heritage officials. The move reflects a broader national shift regarding the treatment of ancient Western Wall stones that were removed over past decades and placed at public institutions across Israel. Under the updated approach, the stones are no longer viewed as museum exhibits or symbolic décor, but as objects of sanctity that require burial in proximity to the Wall itself.

According to the framework guiding the effort, multiple bodies including the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the Jewish Quarter Development Company are coordinating the return of Western Wall stones currently located at state sites. These include the President’s Residence, the Tel Aviv Kirya, the Israel Museum, and storage facilities operated by the Antiquities Authority. All are to be reinterred in designated burial areas adjacent to the Wall.

Katz framed the decision as both a symbolic and value-driven act. “A stone of the Western Wall belongs to the Western Wall, the holy place of the Jewish people, the root of our identity and faith,” he said. “Its place is in the heart of Jerusalem, facing the stones of prayer and the history of the Jewish people. Returning the stone to the Wall is a value-based and symbolic correction that expresses respect for tradition, for history, and for the sovereignty of the State of Israel in its eternal capital.”

The return of the Kirya stone follows a similar step taken last month, when a Western Wall stone that had been displayed for years at the Knesset was returned to Jerusalem during the Chanukah. That move was cited by officials as a precedent for the current phase of the process.

The Israel Antiquities Authority said its actions are guided by rabbinic rulings recognizing the unique sanctity of the Western Wall stones. “The Israel Antiquities Authority is committed to acting in matters of sanctity with respect for Jewish tradition and in accordance with the rulings of Israel’s Chief Rabbis, who determined that the stones of the Western Wall carry special sanctity,” said Director-General Eli Eskosido. “Accordingly, the authority will work to return all of the stones to permanent burial in their place, alongside the other sacred stones.”