×
The Standard e-Paper
Informed Minds Prefer The Standard
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prayed for President Donald Trump at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Sunday following overnight US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.
The raids by American bombers followed decades of campaigning by Netanyahu, arguing for action against Tehran's nuclear programme.
Netanyahu visited the wall with his wife Sara, asking God to "bless, protect and help the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who has taken it upon himself to drive out evil and darkness in the world", according to a video released by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which manages the site.
After the prayer, the Israeli leader placed a note in the stones of the wall, a centuries-old tradition at the holy site, bearing the words "The people of Israel have risen -- the people of Israel live!"
Netanyahu had earlier hailed the US strikes, saying Trump's decision to "target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history".
The United States struck three nuclear sites in Iran overnight after days of speculation as to whether it would join Israel's bombing campaign.
"Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace," Trump said after the attacks.
Many Israelis rejoiced Sunday at American involvement in the war against Iran, which began on June 13.
"We woke up to a Sunday morning of alarms (sirens) and then we saw that the US attacked," David, a 43-year-old Jerusalem resident, told AFP on Sunday.
"We're all happy that the US is lending a hand; it has always been lending a hand."
The Western Wall is considered the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray, and is believed to be the last remnant of the Second Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
The site lies in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, which Israeli forces captured in full during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest developments and special offers!
join