The Western Wall is venerated by Jews as a remnant of a wall supporting the Second Temple complex, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. On its other side is the compound housing the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest site. The compound is a deeply sensitive location where clashes frequently erupt between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli forces. The Cabinet in January approved a plan allowing men and women to pray together in an area adjacent to the current Western Wall prayer plaza in the Old City of annexed east Jerusalem.
