The ramp to the Temple Mount
Over 150 years ago the Arabs built a crude earthern ramp from the level of the city of Jerusalem up to the Mughrabi Gate (the Mughrab is North Africa in Arabic) on the Temple Mount (or Haram al Sharif). At the time the city encroached on the walls of the Temple Mount and there was only an alley, where Jews were allowed to pray. Because of the lack of space the slope of the ramp was steep. After Israel captured the Old City in 1967, the buildings in front of the Temple Mount were cleared forming the current Plaza, and the ramp was improved. Jews and others entered the Temple Mount and visited the Mosques (al Aksa and Dome of the Rock) using the ramp.
But, then two things happened, Moshe Dayan, in what would prove to be a misguided act of generosity, awarded control over the Mosques to the Muslim Trust or Waqf and included the whole Temple Mount area. Also, the Jewish religious authorities ruled that Jews should not enter the Temple Mount compound in case they entered by accident where the "Holy of Holies" had been, since that is strictly forbidden. As a result, the absence of Jews and the control of the Waqf lead over the years to a situation where the Arabs regard the Temple Mount as their own to control, without any intervention by Jews or the Jewish State.
A few years ago the Waqf with support from the PA started building a huge Mosque below the al Aksa Mosque in an area known as "Solomon's Stables." Actually they were never stables, but the Crusaders mistakenly identified the Dome of the Rock as Solomon's Temple, and they incorrectly assumed that the large space underneath had been his stables, when actually it was a space that Herod, who had built the Temnple Mount, had left open, possibly for future development. But, the name the Crusaders gave to the place stuck. However, this was undoubtedly an archaeologically important area, that the Waqf excavated without archaeological involvement, and they dumped truckloads of debris out into the valley beyond. Unfortunately, successive Israeli Governments ignored the advice of the Antiquities Authority and decided not to intervene in this travesty.
Fast forward to today, and recently the ramp to the Mughrabi Gate, undermined by years of neglect and a severe rainstorm last year, began to collapse. It was declared dangerous, and a new temporary wooden ramp was constructed parallel to it. However, this is an eyesore and it takes up much space from the Women's section in front of the Western Wall. So recently the architect's office announced publicly the design of a new modern ramp that will be suspended and will take less space and will have a much more gradual slope, so that it will be easier to ascend. This is what the State Department has asked the Israeli Government for details about. A few days ago the work was started to remove the old earthern ramp, and to start building the new ramp.
As soon as this started the Arabs, both the Palestinians and the Israeli Arabs, started another campaign against Israel. PM Hanieyh of the PA claimed that it was "Israeli aggression" to undermine the Mosques, and Imam Raed Salah, the Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel (yes there is one), called for Arabs to gather at the Temple Mount and to start a new intifada against Israel. He was subsequently arrested at the Temple Mount and has been charged with incitement to violence. Meanwhile there is a huge Israeli police and military presence around the Temple Mount to protect the work there.
It should be noted that all the work is proceeding outside the Temple Mount, not near the Mosques, and in an area that is not regarded as holy to Muslims, and neither is it within the jurisdiction of theWaqf, which is on the Temple Mount. Once again, as many times in the past, the Muslim religious authorities tell outright lies about danger to the Mosques in order to instigate a pogrom against the Jews, and to intimidate the Israeli authorities. The same thing happened when a gate was built in the Muslim Quarter as the exit to the Kotel Tunnel. In the rioting after that many people died, but there was never any digging to undermine the Mosques as claimed by the Waqf. Hopefully the ramp will be built without interference, and life will return to normal. Partly due to their being involved in the civil war in the PA, few Palestinian men came to answer the call to intifada this time.
But, then two things happened, Moshe Dayan, in what would prove to be a misguided act of generosity, awarded control over the Mosques to the Muslim Trust or Waqf and included the whole Temple Mount area. Also, the Jewish religious authorities ruled that Jews should not enter the Temple Mount compound in case they entered by accident where the "Holy of Holies" had been, since that is strictly forbidden. As a result, the absence of Jews and the control of the Waqf lead over the years to a situation where the Arabs regard the Temple Mount as their own to control, without any intervention by Jews or the Jewish State.
A few years ago the Waqf with support from the PA started building a huge Mosque below the al Aksa Mosque in an area known as "Solomon's Stables." Actually they were never stables, but the Crusaders mistakenly identified the Dome of the Rock as Solomon's Temple, and they incorrectly assumed that the large space underneath had been his stables, when actually it was a space that Herod, who had built the Temnple Mount, had left open, possibly for future development. But, the name the Crusaders gave to the place stuck. However, this was undoubtedly an archaeologically important area, that the Waqf excavated without archaeological involvement, and they dumped truckloads of debris out into the valley beyond. Unfortunately, successive Israeli Governments ignored the advice of the Antiquities Authority and decided not to intervene in this travesty.
Fast forward to today, and recently the ramp to the Mughrabi Gate, undermined by years of neglect and a severe rainstorm last year, began to collapse. It was declared dangerous, and a new temporary wooden ramp was constructed parallel to it. However, this is an eyesore and it takes up much space from the Women's section in front of the Western Wall. So recently the architect's office announced publicly the design of a new modern ramp that will be suspended and will take less space and will have a much more gradual slope, so that it will be easier to ascend. This is what the State Department has asked the Israeli Government for details about. A few days ago the work was started to remove the old earthern ramp, and to start building the new ramp.
As soon as this started the Arabs, both the Palestinians and the Israeli Arabs, started another campaign against Israel. PM Hanieyh of the PA claimed that it was "Israeli aggression" to undermine the Mosques, and Imam Raed Salah, the Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel (yes there is one), called for Arabs to gather at the Temple Mount and to start a new intifada against Israel. He was subsequently arrested at the Temple Mount and has been charged with incitement to violence. Meanwhile there is a huge Israeli police and military presence around the Temple Mount to protect the work there.
It should be noted that all the work is proceeding outside the Temple Mount, not near the Mosques, and in an area that is not regarded as holy to Muslims, and neither is it within the jurisdiction of theWaqf, which is on the Temple Mount. Once again, as many times in the past, the Muslim religious authorities tell outright lies about danger to the Mosques in order to instigate a pogrom against the Jews, and to intimidate the Israeli authorities. The same thing happened when a gate was built in the Muslim Quarter as the exit to the Kotel Tunnel. In the rioting after that many people died, but there was never any digging to undermine the Mosques as claimed by the Waqf. Hopefully the ramp will be built without interference, and life will return to normal. Partly due to their being involved in the civil war in the PA, few Palestinian men came to answer the call to intifada this time.
posted by Jack Cohen at 1:21 PM
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