Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is flanked by the rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz (right), and the director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Mr. Mordechai (Suli) Eliav at the Western Wall on June 22, 2026. Credit: Western Wall Heritage Foundation
Ahead of Operation Midnight Hammer, the prime minister placed a note in the wall that read “Am Kelavi Yakum – a nation shall rise like a lion.”
By David Brummer, World Israel News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Sunday evening to offer a public prayer of thanksgiving following the unprecedented US military strike on three of Iran’s nuclear sites in a mission named “Operation Midnight Hammer,” according to a Western Wall Heritage Foundation statement.
Joined by his wife, Sara, the prime minister participated in a special prayer service led by Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, and Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
The gathering included psalms of praise and expressions of gratitude to God for what officials described as “manifest miracles” witnessed during the ongoing “Rising Lion” war.
The service also featured a heartfelt prayer for the well-being of US President Donald Trump, in appreciation for his decisive military support and commitment to Israel’s security.
“This was a prayer of thanks—to the Almighty, and to a great friend of Israel,” said a source close to the prime minister.
Ten days earlier, on the eve of the war, Netanyahu quietly visited the Western Wall to pray for the nation’s success, inserting a note between the ancient stones that read: “Am kelavi yakum – A nation shall rise like a lion.”
At the conclusion of Sunday’s prayer, he placed a second note in the Wall with the updated message: “Am Yisrael kam – Am Yisrael chai!” (“The nation of Israel has risen – the Nation of Israel lives!”)
“Ten days ago, on the eve of Israel’s historic action, I stood here and placed a note that read: ‘Behold, a nation shall rise like a lion,’” Netanyahu said after the prayer.
“Now, 10 days later, I return to the same place and leave a note that reads: ‘Behold, a nation has risen like a lion – the Nation of Israel lives!’”
The prime minister’s visit comes as Israeli and American forces continue to coordinate efforts against Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure, in what officials have called a turning point in the regional power balance.
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