JERUSALEM — Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul paid a visit to the Western Wall Sunday night for his first stop on a week-long tour of Israel and other parts of the Middle East.

Like the trip itself, Paul's visit to the Wall is likely to further fuel speculation about his plans for a 2016 White House bid. The Wall, a remnant of the Second Temple built 2,000 years ago, is one of the most sacred places in Judaism, and as such, has become a popular stop for U.S. politicians contemplating a presidential run; then-candidate Barack Obama took a trip to the Wall in 2008, and both Mitt Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stopped by the sacred site last year.

In contrast to those high-profile visits, Paul's late-night trip to the Wall was relatively low-key. Accompanied by his two younger sons and the rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinowitz, Paul spent a few minutes of reflection at the Wall.

Later, Paul joined other members of his tour group for a private viewing of the Western Wall Tunnel, the controversial excavation that exposes the full length of the Wall and other previously unknown features of the Temple Mount.

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