An Israeli paraglider tries to save migrating swifts that nest in the Western Wall
An Israeli paraglider is working to protect migrating swifts that nest in the Western Wall in Jerusalem. These birds are seen as a symbolic bridge between the city's diverse religious communities and a historical connection to the land.
Why it matters
The story illustrates how nature and wildlife can serve as a unifying, non-political symbol in a highly contested geopolitical region.
JERUSALEM — Every spring at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a rabbi presides over a ceremony to welcome the arrival of the common swift in its great migration about 2,800 miles from Africa. Between February and June, men's and women's prayers at the wall mix with the calls of the birds that swoop and dart above this ancient religious site.
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