A week after a mysterious luxury vehicle was spotted parked on the grounds of the Western Wall, questions remain regarding how this occurred during a period of extremely tight security, and why police have yet to explain who approved its entry.
While details have remained sketchy, on Sunday police confirmed that the owner of the bright yellow Corvette did not receive a ticket.
The vehicle lacked the legally-required front license plate, meaning it should have received a ticket. Yet police will not announce the identity of the car’s owner and it is still unclear who allowed the car to park in the heart of the Western Wall compound.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation emphasized that it did not give approval for the car to park in the area during selichot, but police declined to state whether or not approval was given.
Parking permits at the Western Well are provided by the Heritage Foundation or at the discretion of the on-site police station’s commanders. This is given when there is free space and when it does constitute a security risk, with disabled people having priority.
The Western Wall has a severe shortage of parking, because the Jewish Quarter’s parking lot is open only to residents of the quarters, while the Mount Zion parking lot is for buses and security vehicles.
Thousands of worshipers therefore have to park their cars in lots that are at least fifteen minutes away from the grounds, or else use public transportation.
Jerusalem police declined to comment on repeated inquiries by Ynet about policy on the evening of selichot, two days before Yom Kippur, when thousands of worshipers prayed at the holy site.
Among the issues raised by Ynet to Jerusalem District Police were who permitted the Corvette’s owner to park there, why there apparently no attempt to identify the owner, how many privately-owned vehicle enter the grounds that night, whether the Corvette’s owner received any preferential treatment, and finally, how it was possible that police ignored the fact that the car lacked plates.
