A Belgian model’s publicity stunt backfired—big time. Posed nude on the rooftop of a private home, with the Wailing Wall as a backdrop, this photo has outraged many around the world. (I am only showing the pixelated version for obvious reasons.) Because the Wall is the holiest site in the world for Jews, it’s exceptionally poor taste to do something so crass. 

Marisa Papan describes her way of life as “a naked form of freedom where masks are torn off and thrown in the ocean.” (Whatever that means…) She is no stranger to controversy and was jailed in Egypt for a similar stunt at the Luxor pyramid, demonstrating a troubling pattern of behavior.

If someone wants to make their living by posing nude, I don’t care, but there are limitations. We have decency standards for a reason. Rabbi Rabinovich, who is in charge of the Wall, summed it up best: “This is an embarrassing incident, grave and lamentable, which offends the sanctity of the site.”

Another interesting aspect of the controversy is that the Al-Aqsa mosque, which is adjacent to the Wall and often visible in photos of the Wall, is entirely absent in her shot. Some say that is no accident and she is pandering to Muslims. I don’t think that’s the case, due the Egypt arrest, but who knows? 

Whatever her motivations, it’s inappropriate. Nudity and religious sites do not mix.