Israel’s top rabbis expressed dismay after a 5-ton stone from the Western Wall of the Temple Mount was put on display at Ben Gurion Airport as though it were a museum piece.

The stone was not take out of the Western Wall, but was one of several large stones that had fallen during the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 AD and in earthquakes during the centuries that followed. This particular stone was previously on display at the Knesset. Others like it have been placed at the President’s Residence and the Israel Museum.

Rabbis are displeased by the practice of treating the Western Wall or parts of as little as more than historical curiosities, or even national heritage pieces, insisting rather that they remain sacred and of critical divine importance.

“The Western Wall stones are sacred, and with all the desire to showcase Jewish history and Israel’s heritage, the Western Wall stones should not be removed for this purpose,” wrote Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz in a letter to Heritage Ministry officials.

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber concurred that pieces of the Western Wall are not museum artifacts, and together with Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef they are expected to issue a formal declaration on the matter.

Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) officials said they were surprised by the rabbinic protests, noting that the rabbis had said nothing when the stone in question was displayed at the Knesset.

“It is right and proper that the Temple Mount stone be displayed in a dignified manner in the exhibition, which showcases the resilience of our people and their ability to overcome any obstacle throughout 3,000 years of history,” read an IAA statement.

The stone has been placed in the departures area of Ben Gurion Airport, where everyone flying abroad will pass by it before leaving the country.

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