The Western Wall of Jerusalem is starting to crumble

Jerusalem - Stones of the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism, have started to crumble, and the wall must undergo repairs to protect the worshippers who pray before it. The issue is made more serious by the fact that this last remnant of the former Herod's Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, is by far the most visited tourist site in Israel. Each year, six million visitors view it, reported AFP.
    Remarkably, the original blocks embedded in the wall 20 centuries ago resist the ravages of time, while the smaller ones placed on top of it 2000 years later show signs of wear.
    "The stones from the time of the Second Temple are overall in good condition," says Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich. "The problem concerns the stones added during the British mandate (from 1917 to 1948), which are crumbling and we need to repair them."
    According to him, the reconstruction work will begin sometime after the Jewish Passover, which starts on Friday. The repairs are expected to continue throughout the summer.
    However, the planned work is likely to spark debate among Jewish scholars. According to numerous interpretations of Jewish law, it is effectively forbidden to move or replace any block from the Western Wall, or even to repair it.
    The Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar has previously ordered that repairs can only be carried out by Jews who have undergone ritual purification, and only during daylight.
    The Israeli Antiquities Authority will also be involved in the repairs of the Western Wall. If necessary, its workers will secure the repair site with a protective net, said one of the agency's directors, Raanan Kislev.
    He clarified that his office conducts regular inspections of the Western Wall several times a year. In the past, several smaller stones have reportedly fallen, but the wall is overall stable.