Model’s nude photo shoot at Jerusalem’s Western Wall sparks anger

A Belgian model faced backlash in Israel after posting a photo of herself posing nude in front of one of Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Marisa Papen posted the image of herself laying naked on a rooftop sunbathing, overlooking the Jewish holy site. Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich said, “This is an embarrassing incident, grave and lamentable, which offends the sanctity of the site and the feelings of those who visit the holy places,” the Times of Israel cited. In a blog post titled “The Wall of Shame”, Papen took the photos during her three-day road trip through Israel, travelling from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. She explained the purpose of the photoshoot was to “push the boundaries of religion and politics even further” and “break down the walls that have been built to keep all our wandering souls on this planet somehow under control”. Last year, Papen was briefly detained after taking naked photos at an ancient Egyptian temple.