Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Jerusalem’s Western Wall on Sunday, June 22, to offer prayers for U.S. President Donald Trump, following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities that Netanyahu described as a historic moment for Israel and global security.
The gesture underscores the close coordination between Israel and the U.S. in their campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, which intensified with Israel’s own strikes beginning June 12.
Netanyahu, speaking after the prayer, praised Trump’s “bold decision” to target Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan sites, calling the strikes “fully coordinated” with Israel’s military. “President Trump and I often say, ‘Peace through strength,’” Netanyahu said, echoing Trump’s claim that the U.S. had “complete and total control of the skies over Iran,”. The Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, served as a symbolic backdrop for Netanyahu’s appeal for divine support for Trump, who ordered the strikes without congressional approval, drawing criticism from U.S. lawmakers like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Israel’s air campaign, launched to “degrade” Iran’s nuclear threat, has killed over 224 Iranians and 24 Israelis since June 12. Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes, including 40 ballistic missiles on June 22, hit Haifa and Tel Aviv. Netanyahu’s prayer comes amid domestic and international pressure, with allies like Gideon Saar lauding Trump’s strikes, while critics like Yair Lapid urge de-escalation. The visit also follows Netanyahu’s rejection of a U.S. proposal to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which he claimed would “end the conflict,”.