Israeli authorities said a section of Jerusalem’s Western Wall—the holiest place where Jews may pray—was defaced before dawn on 11 August with red spray-painted Hebrew reading “There is a Holocaust in Gaza.” An identical slogan appeared on the façade of the city’s Great Synagogue. The graffiti, which condemned Israel’s ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip, was removed later in the morning. Police arrested a 27-year-old Jerusalem resident on suspicion of carrying out the vandalism and said they would seek a court order extending his detention while the investigation continues. Officials have not released the suspect’s name or indicated a motive beyond the anti-war message itself. Religious leaders and politicians from across Israel’s spectrum denounced the act. Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch called it a “desecration,” while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir vowed a swift prosecution. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the perpetrator had “forgotten what it means to be Jewish,” and opposition politician Benny Gantz branded the incident “a crime against the entire Jewish people.” The episode comes amid heightened tensions over Israel’s two-year campaign against Hamas in Gaza, which has drawn criticism both domestically and abroad. Security at the Western Wall plaza, already stringent, was reinforced following the vandalism.