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The U.S. presidential candidate visited the site early Thursday and placed a note in the cracks of the wall, as is customary.
The note was subsequently removed from the wall, according to the daily Maariv, which printed what it said were the contents of the prayer. Maariv said a religious student gave the note to the newspaper.
Obama's senior strategist Robert Gibbs told CNN: "We haven't confirmed nor denied" that the note is from the Illinois senator.
The notes are supposed to be removed twice a year, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and Passover, and placed in a repository "to keep them hidden from human eyes," said Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, who supervises the Western Wall.
"This sacrilegious action deserves sharp condemnation and represents a desecration of the holy site. Notes placed in the Western Wall are between the person and his Maker. Heaven forbid one should read or use them."
Asked what he wrote, Obama declined to answer, saying it was a private conversation between him and God.
"The boycott will be lifted," he added, "after the newspaper publishes a notice, both in Hebrew and in English, apologizing for its lack of sensitivity and for its violation of Senator Obama's privacy and honor."
Maariv's response: "Obama's note was published in Maariv and other international publications following his authorization to make the content of the note public. Obama submitted a copy of the note to media outlets when he left his hotel in Jerusalem. Moreover, since he is not Jewish, there is no violation of privacy as there would be for a Jewish person who places a note in the wall."
Originally posted by Quazga
IF
is a huge word dronetek.
Let's get some corroboration before we jump to conclusions.
Although I don't recall Obama ever adressing this, so I'm not sure where the trick would be?
Originally posted by clay2 baraka
Still looking for proof of the Obama authorization to publish the note.
It looks to me like the play could go both ways. Either the paper is lying about receiving a press release or his note was intercepted and the party created a fake press release, then handed the note over to Maariv. (Note: the seminary student was never identified).
I have an incredibly difficult time believing that a 'religious student' (and I believe he was about 20; old enough to know better) would desecrate one of his faith's holy sites by doing this. It may be as reported, but at the same time, it doesn't entirely pass the smell test. Something about this story stinks.