The area of the Temple Mount is the holiest site for Judaism even without the Temple being there
The Europeans claim that Temple Mount has to be in 'Palestine' because the Jewish Temple is no longer there while the Al-Aqsa Mosque is there now. This argument is wrong for three reasons:
1. There are more Muslims in Israel than in the 'West Bank', Israeli Arabs have the same claim to Al-Aqsa as 'West Bank' Arabs.
2. Israel preserves Muslim Holy sites while Arabs destroy Jewish Holy sites if given a chance. Israel has not destroyed Al-Aqsa or the Dome of the Rock from 1967 till now, 2014, under Israeli sovereignty. The Palestinians destroyed Joseph's Tomb and illegally excavated and destroyed Jewish Archaeological remains from Solomon's Temple and would destroy much more if given sovereignty.
3. The area of the Temple Mount is the holiest site for Judaism even without the Temple there.
The Al Aqsa mosque was built on top of the ruins of the Jewish Temple after the Arab conquest of Jerusalem in 709 CE.
The Temple Mount was the site where the two Jewish Temples were located. King David blessed the Temple Mount before King Solomon built the First Temple in 957 BCE. The First Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE by the Babylonians. The Second Temple was built in 538 BCE and destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans. The Al Aqsa mosque was built on top of the ruins of the Jewish Temple after the Arab conquest of Jerusalem in 709 CE.
This is an excerpt from Mark Twain's "The Innocents Abroad" describing his visit to the Mosque of Omar and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in 1867:
"Everywhere about the Mosque of Omar are portions of pillars, curiously wrought altars, and fragments of elegantly carved marble - the precious remains of Solomon's Temple...see the costly marbles that once adorned the inner Temple...the designs wrought upon these fragments are all quaint and peculiar...one meets with these venerable scraps at every turn, specially in the neighboring mosque Al Aqsa, into whose inner walls a very large number of them are carefully built for preservation. These pieces of stone, stained and dusty with age, dimly hint at a grandeur we have all been taught to regard as the princeliest ever seen on earth; and they call up pictures of a pageant that is familiar to all imaginations - camels laden with spices and treasure - beautiful slaves, presents for Solomon's harem - a long cavalcade of richly caparisoned beasts and warriors - and Sheba's Queen in the van of this prison of Oriental Magnificence. These elegant fragments bear a richer interest than the solemn vastness of the stones the Jews kiss in the place of wailing can ever have for the heedless sinner.
"Down in the hollow ground, underneath the olives and oranges trees that flourish in the court of the great mosque , is a wilderness of pillars - remains of the ancient Temple, they supported it. There are ponderous archways down there...we never dreamed we might see portions of the actual Temple of Solomon..."Deliberate Destruction by the Waqf
The Jewish Temple was not only destroyed by the Romans 2000 years ago, it continues being destroyed by the Arabs today. If the Palestinians assume responsibility over the site they will have freedom to destroy much more.
Journalist Ilan Ben Zion reported in December 2012: "The Muslim authority managing the Temple Mount on Sunday dumped tons of unexamined earth and stones excavated from the holy site into a municipal dump, in violation of a High Court injunction, Maariv (Hebrew Daily, ed.) reported on Monday."
Israel’s top court in September 2004 prohibited removal of earth from the Temple Mount and ruled that, should it be necessary [to do so], the Antiquities Authority must be notified a month in advance so it may examine the earth for artifacts.
Jews regard the Temple Mount as their holiest site, where the First and Second Temple were located. Muslims call it the Noble Sanctuary and regard it as their third holiest site after Mecca and Medina. According to the existing arrangement, the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, or trust, administers the Temple Mount complex.
Despite the High Court of Justice’s ruling, the Waqf has reportedly removed large piles of dirt from the Temple Mount in recent years and dumped them in the valley east of the Old City walls, provoking an outcry from biblical archaeologists and Jewish groups.
Tzachi Dvira, the archaeologist managing the team that sifts through soil excavated from the Temple Mount, told Maariv that mounds of earth containing historic relics were carted off and dumped on Sunday without notification and before archaeologists could investigate them.
Police claimed the removal of the soil was coordinated in advance. Dvira, however, said there were no Antiquities Authority officials on site, and the one police officer monitoring the operation had no idea of its significance.
Dvira claimed Waqf workers exploited a permit for removing construction waste from renovations done at the al-Aqsa Mosque on the site, which also contains the Dome of the Rock, in order to cart off artifact-laden earth from the Temple Mount.
He stated that official oversight of earth removal from the Temple Mount has grown lax in recent years, and said that “the fact that no one has succeeded in stopping the Waqf’s destructive actions raises many doubts about the role of the government in this matter.”
Soil from the Temple Mount that had been removed by the Waqf to the Kidron Valley in recent years has yielded “tens of thousands of finds, including signet rings from the First Temple era, painted floor tiles from the Second Temple era, ancient gold coins, and horseshoe nails and arrowheads belonging to the Knights Templar, who stabled their horses in Solomon’s Stables,” Dvira said.
Suzanne Singer, a contributing editor to the Biblical Archeological Review reported about Palestinian destruction of Jewish Archaeological remains in Temple Mount in September 2000: "Large-scale illegal construction on the Temple Mount and wholesale dumping of earth in the nearby Kidron Valley resumed this spring..."
"... The Temple Mount is, of course, sacred to three great Western faiths and is part of the world’s cultural patrimony. Here may lie remnants from the time of the First Temple of Solomon, the Second Temple built by Herod, the Byzantine period and the early Islamic eras. Israeli excavations around the exterior of the Temple Mount since 1967 have found remains from all these periods, but the Mount itself has been terra incognita, protected by an understanding between Israel and the Waqf that says no construction will take place there...
" ...Last November, we reported that the Waqf, in the dead of night, had dumped hundreds of truckloads of earth from the Temple Mount into the Kidron Valley and municipal garbage dumps. About 6,000 tons of earth were removed ...Despite the flagrant disregard by the Waqf of the requirement for IAA supervision, there was no serious response by Israeli authorities. Today the dumped earth is unprotected and is being covered with garbage, making it unlikely that the IAA will ever act on its announced intention to salvage artifacts by sifting through the piles."
"...This spring and early summer, trucks and tractors returned to the Temple Mount, bringing building materials in and carting earth away through the Lions’ Gate, just north of the Temple Mount. For 200 yards along the inside of the Temple Mount’s eastern wall, from the al-Marawani Mosque’s new entrance to somewhat south of the Golden Gate, lie stacks of paving stones, scaffolding, wood and iron materials, along with large architectural fragments, such as pieces of ancient columns...
" ...The construction on the Temple Mount is only the latest, albeit perhaps the most egregious, example of the Waqf’s disregard for the protection of antiquities. In 1993 Israel’s Supreme Court found that the Waqf had violated the country’s antiquities laws no less than 35 times, with many of the violations causing the irreversible destruction of archaeological remains.
" ...Due to Prime Minister Barak’s concern for negotiations with the Palestinians, no effective archaeological oversight is taking place on the Temple Mount. No one halts the work so that potential damage can be assessed and prevented; as a result, heavy equipment is free to move about the Mount for projects that are neither approved nor supervised. The frequently heard view is that a tough stance by Israel will enflame the Palestinians and set back the peace talks..."
While Israel preserves Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock, Arabs have proven that they cannot be trusted to respect Jewish Holy sites.
While Israel preserves Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock, Arabs have proven that they cannot be trusted to respect Jewish Holy sites. In 2000 the Palestinians destroyed Joseph's tomb.
Sidney Brounstein wrote for the Los Angeles Times "Oct. 8: Where is the outrage? Imagine what would have happened if Jewish police stood by and allowed a Jewish mob to destroy a Muslim holy place! Does the destruction of a Jewish holy place by an Arab mob while Palestinian police stand by (after promising to protect it) deserve no more than inclusion in a list of other damage done by rioters? Is this an acceptance of attacks on Jews and things Jewish as a normal part of life?"
"It makes a mockery of any thought of giving Arabs any control of Jewish holy places. The destruction of dozens of such places in the Old City of Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967, along with the exclusion of Jews entirely from their most holy site, the Western Wall, was clearly of a piece with the current destruction."
The Temple Mount Area Has Always Been Holy to Jews
The Temple Mount was holy to the Jews even before the Temples existed because there is a special connection with God at the site:
"He dreamt, and - look! - a ladder was wedged in the ground and its top reached to heaven, and - look!- angels of God were going up and down on it.
"Suddenly, God was standing over him, and He said, "I am God, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give to you and to your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be as the dust of the earth, and you will be strong to the west, to the east, to the north, to the south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. Look, I am with you, and I will guard you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not abandon you until I have carried out what I have spoken for you.""
"Ya'akov woke up from his sleep and he said. 'God is truly in this place, and I didn't realize.'
He felt frightened. He said, 'How awesome this place is! This is none other than the house of God, this is the Gate of Heaven.
"Ya'akov arose early in the morning. He took the stone that he had placed at his head, set it up as a monument, and poured oil on top of it... Ya'akov made a vow saying 'If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then God shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house'." (Bereshit 28:20-22)
Even without the Temple, the Temple Mount is the Holiest Site for Judaism. The Holiest site for Islam is the Ka'ba in Mecca. Taking away Temple Mount from the Jews would be like taking the Ka'ba in Mecca from the Arabs.
One of Maimonides 13 principles of the Jewish faith, for which Jews pray three times a day, is the belief in the resurrection of the death and the coming of Messiah, the descendant of King David. When Messiah comes, the Temple will be rebuilt - on the Temple Mount.
1. There are more Muslims in Israel than in the 'West Bank', Israeli Arabs have the same claim to Al-Aqsa as 'West Bank' Arabs.
2. Israel preserves Muslim Holy sites while Arabs destroy Jewish Holy sites if given a chance. Israel has not destroyed Al-Aqsa or the Dome of the Rock from 1967 till now, 2014, under Israeli sovereignty. The Palestinians destroyed Joseph's Tomb and illegally excavated and destroyed Jewish Archaeological remains from Solomon's Temple and would destroy much more if given sovereignty.
3. The area of the Temple Mount is the holiest site for Judaism even without the Temple there.
The Al Aqsa mosque was built on top of the ruins of the Jewish Temple after the Arab conquest of Jerusalem in 709 CE.
The Temple Mount was the site where the two Jewish Temples were located. King David blessed the Temple Mount before King Solomon built the First Temple in 957 BCE. The First Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE by the Babylonians. The Second Temple was built in 538 BCE and destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans. The Al Aqsa mosque was built on top of the ruins of the Jewish Temple after the Arab conquest of Jerusalem in 709 CE.This is an excerpt from Mark Twain's "The Innocents Abroad" describing his visit to the Mosque of Omar and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in 1867:
"Everywhere about the Mosque of Omar are portions of pillars, curiously wrought altars, and fragments of elegantly carved marble - the precious remains of Solomon's Temple...see the costly marbles that once adorned the inner Temple...the designs wrought upon these fragments are all quaint and peculiar...one meets with these venerable scraps at every turn, specially in the neighboring mosque Al Aqsa, into whose inner walls a very large number of them are carefully built for preservation. These pieces of stone, stained and dusty with age, dimly hint at a grandeur we have all been taught to regard as the princeliest ever seen on earth; and they call up pictures of a pageant that is familiar to all imaginations - camels laden with spices and treasure - beautiful slaves, presents for Solomon's harem - a long cavalcade of richly caparisoned beasts and warriors - and Sheba's Queen in the van of this prison of Oriental Magnificence. These elegant fragments bear a richer interest than the solemn vastness of the stones the Jews kiss in the place of wailing can ever have for the heedless sinner.
"Down in the hollow ground, underneath the olives and oranges trees that flourish in the court of the great mosque , is a wilderness of pillars - remains of the ancient Temple, they supported it. There are ponderous archways down there...we never dreamed we might see portions of the actual Temple of Solomon..."Deliberate Destruction by the Waqf
The Jewish Temple was not only destroyed by the Romans 2000 years ago, it continues being destroyed by the Arabs today. If the Palestinians assume responsibility over the site they will have freedom to destroy much more.
Journalist Ilan Ben Zion reported in December 2012: "The Muslim authority managing the Temple Mount on Sunday dumped tons of unexamined earth and stones excavated from the holy site into a municipal dump, in violation of a High Court injunction, Maariv (Hebrew Daily, ed.) reported on Monday."
Israel’s top court in September 2004 prohibited removal of earth from the Temple Mount and ruled that, should it be necessary [to do so], the Antiquities Authority must be notified a month in advance so it may examine the earth for artifacts.
Jews regard the Temple Mount as their holiest site, where the First and Second Temple were located. Muslims call it the Noble Sanctuary and regard it as their third holiest site after Mecca and Medina. According to the existing arrangement, the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, or trust, administers the Temple Mount complex.
Despite the High Court of Justice’s ruling, the Waqf has reportedly removed large piles of dirt from the Temple Mount in recent years and dumped them in the valley east of the Old City walls, provoking an outcry from biblical archaeologists and Jewish groups.
Tzachi Dvira, the archaeologist managing the team that sifts through soil excavated from the Temple Mount, told Maariv that mounds of earth containing historic relics were carted off and dumped on Sunday without notification and before archaeologists could investigate them.
Police claimed the removal of the soil was coordinated in advance. Dvira, however, said there were no Antiquities Authority officials on site, and the one police officer monitoring the operation had no idea of its significance.
Dvira claimed Waqf workers exploited a permit for removing construction waste from renovations done at the al-Aqsa Mosque on the site, which also contains the Dome of the Rock, in order to cart off artifact-laden earth from the Temple Mount.
He stated that official oversight of earth removal from the Temple Mount has grown lax in recent years, and said that “the fact that no one has succeeded in stopping the Waqf’s destructive actions raises many doubts about the role of the government in this matter.”
Soil from the Temple Mount that had been removed by the Waqf to the Kidron Valley in recent years has yielded “tens of thousands of finds, including signet rings from the First Temple era, painted floor tiles from the Second Temple era, ancient gold coins, and horseshoe nails and arrowheads belonging to the Knights Templar, who stabled their horses in Solomon’s Stables,” Dvira said.
Suzanne Singer, a contributing editor to the Biblical Archeological Review reported about Palestinian destruction of Jewish Archaeological remains in Temple Mount in September 2000: "Large-scale illegal construction on the Temple Mount and wholesale dumping of earth in the nearby Kidron Valley resumed this spring..."
"... The Temple Mount is, of course, sacred to three great Western faiths and is part of the world’s cultural patrimony. Here may lie remnants from the time of the First Temple of Solomon, the Second Temple built by Herod, the Byzantine period and the early Islamic eras. Israeli excavations around the exterior of the Temple Mount since 1967 have found remains from all these periods, but the Mount itself has been terra incognita, protected by an understanding between Israel and the Waqf that says no construction will take place there...
" ...Last November, we reported that the Waqf, in the dead of night, had dumped hundreds of truckloads of earth from the Temple Mount into the Kidron Valley and municipal garbage dumps. About 6,000 tons of earth were removed ...Despite the flagrant disregard by the Waqf of the requirement for IAA supervision, there was no serious response by Israeli authorities. Today the dumped earth is unprotected and is being covered with garbage, making it unlikely that the IAA will ever act on its announced intention to salvage artifacts by sifting through the piles."
"...This spring and early summer, trucks and tractors returned to the Temple Mount, bringing building materials in and carting earth away through the Lions’ Gate, just north of the Temple Mount. For 200 yards along the inside of the Temple Mount’s eastern wall, from the al-Marawani Mosque’s new entrance to somewhat south of the Golden Gate, lie stacks of paving stones, scaffolding, wood and iron materials, along with large architectural fragments, such as pieces of ancient columns...
" ...The construction on the Temple Mount is only the latest, albeit perhaps the most egregious, example of the Waqf’s disregard for the protection of antiquities. In 1993 Israel’s Supreme Court found that the Waqf had violated the country’s antiquities laws no less than 35 times, with many of the violations causing the irreversible destruction of archaeological remains.
" ...Due to Prime Minister Barak’s concern for negotiations with the Palestinians, no effective archaeological oversight is taking place on the Temple Mount. No one halts the work so that potential damage can be assessed and prevented; as a result, heavy equipment is free to move about the Mount for projects that are neither approved nor supervised. The frequently heard view is that a tough stance by Israel will enflame the Palestinians and set back the peace talks..."
While Israel preserves Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock, Arabs have proven that they cannot be trusted to respect Jewish Holy sites.
While Israel preserves Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock, Arabs have proven that they cannot be trusted to respect Jewish Holy sites. In 2000 the Palestinians destroyed Joseph's tomb. Sidney Brounstein wrote for the Los Angeles Times "Oct. 8: Where is the outrage? Imagine what would have happened if Jewish police stood by and allowed a Jewish mob to destroy a Muslim holy place! Does the destruction of a Jewish holy place by an Arab mob while Palestinian police stand by (after promising to protect it) deserve no more than inclusion in a list of other damage done by rioters? Is this an acceptance of attacks on Jews and things Jewish as a normal part of life?"
"It makes a mockery of any thought of giving Arabs any control of Jewish holy places. The destruction of dozens of such places in the Old City of Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967, along with the exclusion of Jews entirely from their most holy site, the Western Wall, was clearly of a piece with the current destruction."
The Temple Mount Area Has Always Been Holy to Jews
The Temple Mount was holy to the Jews even before the Temples existed because there is a special connection with God at the site:
- According to the Torah (Bereshit [Genesis] 22:1-14), God told Abraham to bring his son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice there.
- It was also at Temple Mount that Ya'akov (Jacob) had his famous dream where he saw angels going and coming from heaven on a ladder.
"He dreamt, and - look! - a ladder was wedged in the ground and its top reached to heaven, and - look!- angels of God were going up and down on it.
"Suddenly, God was standing over him, and He said, "I am God, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give to you and to your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be as the dust of the earth, and you will be strong to the west, to the east, to the north, to the south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. Look, I am with you, and I will guard you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not abandon you until I have carried out what I have spoken for you.""
"Ya'akov woke up from his sleep and he said. 'God is truly in this place, and I didn't realize.'
He felt frightened. He said, 'How awesome this place is! This is none other than the house of God, this is the Gate of Heaven.
"Ya'akov arose early in the morning. He took the stone that he had placed at his head, set it up as a monument, and poured oil on top of it... Ya'akov made a vow saying 'If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then God shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house'." (Bereshit 28:20-22)
- While the Jewish Temples existed it was believed that the Schechina (God's Presence) rested in the Holy of Holies, the part of the Temple where the Holy Ark (with Moses' tablets) was. Now that the Temple is no longer in place, even with the Mosque there, Temple Mount continues being the Holiest Site for Judaism, a place where God's presence is closer.
Even without the Temple, the Temple Mount is the Holiest Site for Judaism. The Holiest site for Islam is the Ka'ba in Mecca. Taking away Temple Mount from the Jews would be like taking the Ka'ba in Mecca from the Arabs.
One of Maimonides 13 principles of the Jewish faith, for which Jews pray three times a day, is the belief in the resurrection of the death and the coming of Messiah, the descendant of King David. When Messiah comes, the Temple will be rebuilt - on the Temple Mount.
Destruction of Joseph's Tomb
It makes a mockery of any thought of giving Arabs any control of Jewish holy places. The destruction of dozens of such places in the Old City of Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967, along with the exclusion of Jews entirely from their most holy site, the Western Wall, was clearly of a piece with the current destruction.
SIDNEY BROUNSTEIN
Redlands
*
I have visited Joseph's Tomb. Numerous buses bring tourists to this important religious site. Palestinian hawkers make a living from these tourists. Now, no more. Not only have they desecrated a tomb dear to both Jews and Christians, but they have hurt their livelihood. Once again, Yasser Arafat and company have shot themselves in the foot. How sad.
SIDNEY BROUNSTEIN
Redlands
*
I have visited Joseph's Tomb. Numerous buses bring tourists to this important religious site. Palestinian hawkers make a living from these tourists. Now, no more. Not only have they desecrated a tomb dear to both Jews and Christians, but they have hurt their livelihood. Once again, Yasser Arafat and company have shot themselves in the foot. How sad.
RAYMOND MOSES
Beverly Hills
*
Re "Barak Gives Arafat Ultimatum," Oct. 8: Just who is Ehud Barak to think he has the right to issue ultimatums? Zionism is a racist, apartheid movement that has as its aim the stealing of Palestine from its indigenous people, the Palestinians. Not only do Zionists not have any right to any part of the West Bank or Gaza, they have no right to any part of Palestine.
The unilateral establishment of "Israel" on Palestinian land a half-century ago was an act of imperialism and racism, and now the pigeons are finally coming home to roost. The United States should end diplomatic recognition of the Zionist entity and recognize the PLO as the sole representative of all the people of Palestine, from Gaza to the West Bank.
RONALD O. RICHARDS
Los Angeles
*
Michael Ramirez's Oct. 6 cartoon (Commentary) seriously misreads recent events in the Middle East by equating the Israeli government and Palestinian rioters. It has not been the Israelis who have been instigating violence in an effort to abort the fragile peace process. The government of Barak has reluctantly responded to the provocative acts of the Palestinian shock troops, whose aim is anything but peace.
From the distance of two oceans and thousands of miles it is easy to avoid assessing blame and to conclude that both parties bear equal responsibility for recent tragic events. But the facts prove otherwise. The rioters and the promoters of violence are not the equivalent of those who seek to keep the peace and to further the pursuit of peace. It has not been the Israeli government that has been praying at the "wall of hate."
DAVID A. LEHRER
Regional Director
Anti-Defamation League
Los Angeles
Beverly Hills
*
Re "Barak Gives Arafat Ultimatum," Oct. 8: Just who is Ehud Barak to think he has the right to issue ultimatums? Zionism is a racist, apartheid movement that has as its aim the stealing of Palestine from its indigenous people, the Palestinians. Not only do Zionists not have any right to any part of the West Bank or Gaza, they have no right to any part of Palestine.
The unilateral establishment of "Israel" on Palestinian land a half-century ago was an act of imperialism and racism, and now the pigeons are finally coming home to roost. The United States should end diplomatic recognition of the Zionist entity and recognize the PLO as the sole representative of all the people of Palestine, from Gaza to the West Bank.
RONALD O. RICHARDS
Los Angeles
*
Michael Ramirez's Oct. 6 cartoon (Commentary) seriously misreads recent events in the Middle East by equating the Israeli government and Palestinian rioters. It has not been the Israelis who have been instigating violence in an effort to abort the fragile peace process. The government of Barak has reluctantly responded to the provocative acts of the Palestinian shock troops, whose aim is anything but peace.
From the distance of two oceans and thousands of miles it is easy to avoid assessing blame and to conclude that both parties bear equal responsibility for recent tragic events. But the facts prove otherwise. The rioters and the promoters of violence are not the equivalent of those who seek to keep the peace and to further the pursuit of peace. It has not been the Israeli government that has been praying at the "wall of hate."
DAVID A. LEHRER
Regional Director
Anti-Defamation League
Los Angeles
| Original Published by BAR athttp://www.bib-arch.org/barso00/destroyed.html | ||
Jerusalem Update
|  Large-scale illegal construction on the Temple Mount and wholesale dumping of earth in the nearby Kidron Valley resumed this spring. The construction, which is being undertaken by the Waqf, the Muslim religious trust responsible for the Mount, is the continuation of work begun last winter to open what was supposed to be simply an emergency exit for the al-Marawani Mosque, located in an underground area popularly called Solomon’s Stables. Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, though pressed by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), Israel’s attorney general Elyakim Rubinstein and Jerusalem mayor Ehud Olmert, has signaled that he will not impede the Waqf’s activities. Following a June 28 meeting, a spokesman for Barak announced that the prime minister will allow paving work to continue along 600 feet of what is now an exposed earthen area inside the eastern wall of the Temple Mount. Barak rejected any limits on the extent of the paving. He also vetoed a recommendation by Attorney General Rubinstein and the IAA that heavy machinery, trucks and tractors be prevented from entering the Mount. Barak called for “reasonable supervision” of truck traffic entering the Mount and gave vague instructions to allow IAA archaeologists onto the site to ensure that the paving does not evolve into more extensive construction. The IAA is required by law to approve and supervise any alterations to sites with archaeological remains. The Temple Mount is, of course, sacred to three great Western faiths and is part of the world’s cultural patrimony. Here may lie remnants from the time of the First Temple of Solomon, the Second Temple built by Herod, the Byzantine period and the early Islamic eras. Israeli excavations around the exterior of the Temple Mount since 1967 have found remains from all these periods, but the Mount itself has been terra incognita, protected by an understanding between Israel and the Waqf that says no construction will take place there. Now Prime Minister Barak has given a green light to significant changes on the Mount, with only token supervision by archaeologists. | |
| *See “Furor Over Temple Mount Construction,”Strata, BAR, March/April 2000. (Order this issue) | Last November, we reported that the Waqf, in the dead of night, had dumped hundreds of truckloads of earth from the Temple Mount into the Kidron Valley and municipal garbage dumps.*About 6,000 tons of earth were removed to open an authorized emergency exit for the al-Marawani Mosque, creating a huge hole about 200 feet long and 75 feet wide. The exit, enlarged beyond the approved width, has become, in the words of the police commander of the Jerusalem district, “a monumental entry gate.” Despite the flagrant disregard by the Waqf of the requirement for IAA supervision, there was no serious response by Israeli authorities. Today the dumped earth is unprotected and is being covered with garbage, making it unlikely that the IAA will ever act on its announced intention to salvage artifacts by sifting through the piles. This spring and early summer, trucks and tractors returned to the Temple Mount, bringing building materials in and carting earth away through the Lions’ Gate, just north of the Temple Mount. For 200 yards along the inside of the Temple Mount’s eastern wall, from the al-Marawani Mosque’s new entrance to somewhat south of the Golden Gate, lie stacks of paving stones, scaffolding, wood and iron materials, along with large architectural fragments, such as pieces of ancient columns. Two small roofed buildings, thought to be storage sheds for contractors, have gone up near the Golden Gate. The Waqf’s plans for building on the Temple Mount are contained in a detailed report given to Barak and revealed on June 18 by Nadav Shragai, correspondent for the newspaperHa’aretz. Shragai writes that a master plan includes erecting another Muslim prayer area on the Temple Mount, “along the eastern wall, a smaller version of the Ka’aba Mosque in Mecca.” Hardly mentioned in press reports is the fact that there already is another Muslim prayer hall on the Temple Mount, inaccessible to all but a few visitors and also prepared without archaeological oversight by the IAA. This mosque is located in the only intact Herodian structure remaining on the Mount, an underground area with magnificent domes covered by geometric and floral designs. The area is inside the passageway of the Double Gate, which 2,000 years ago served as one of the main southern entrances to the Temple Mount. Today the gate is sealed and partially obscured by a medieval tower attached to the southern wall. This unique remnant has deteriorated over the millennia and is in need of preservation. | |
| **See Stephen J. Adler, “Israeli Court Finds Muslim Council Destroyed Ancient Remains on Temple Mount,” BAR, July/August 1994. (Order this issue) | The construction on the Temple Mount is only the latest, albeit perhaps the most egregious, example of the Waqf’s disregard for the protection of antiquities. In 1993 Israel’s Supreme Court found that the Waqf had violated the country’s antiquities laws no less than 35 times, with many of the violations causing the irreversible destruction of archaeological remains.** Ironically, the court said that nothing needed to be done because it was certain that in the future Israeli authorities would make sure that the Waqf caused no further damage on the Mount. In the face of Barak’s inaction, a citizen’s committee has been formed to protest the Waqf’s activities. Spearheaded by Israel Caspi, a Tel Aviv lawyer, the Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount gathered 140 signatures from across the Israeli political spectrum on an open letter to the prime minister. Among them are current and former Jerusalem mayors Ehud Olmert and Teddy Kollek, 82 members of Israel’s parliament, Amos Oz and other well-known writers, former army chiefs of staff, university presidents, professors of archaeology and members of Israel’s law faculties. The letter states that “a serious act of irreparable archaeological vandalism and destruction is being carried out without archaeological supervision, while abrogating the Antiquities Law.” | |
| *See Stephen J. Adler, “The Temple Mount in Court,” BAR, September/October 1991. (Order this issue) | Some might argue that paving an earthen area is a benign, nondestructive act. But as BAR demonstrated several years ago,*laying pavement without studying what may be beneath is tantamount to destruction. Historical information is obliterated, perhaps forever. Due to Prime Minister Barak’s concern for negotiations with the Palestinians, no effective archaeological oversight is taking place on the Temple Mount. No one halts the work so that potential damage can be assessed and prevented; as a result, heavy equipment is free to move about the Mount for projects that are neither approved nor supervised. The frequently heard view is that a tough stance by Israel will enflame the Palestinians and set back the peace talks. But there are dissenting voices, such as that of Major General (reserve) Meir Dagan, who was the counterterrorism advisor to both Barak and former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Dagan asserts that “the argument that any action taken to prevent illegal construction from being carried out will ignite the Muslims is simply nonsense.”  Suzanne Singer serves as a contributing editor to BAR and was for many years its managing editor. She divides her time between Washington, D.C., and Jerusalem. |
Report: Waqf Continues to Destroy Jewish Antiquities
The Waqf is continuing to destroy Jewish antiquities on the Temple Mount in a direct violation of a court ruling, new report finds.
By Elad Benari
First Publish: 12/25/2012, 2:13 AM
The Temple Mount
Flash90
The Muslim Waqf is continuing to destroy Jewish antiquities on the Temple Mount in a direct violation of a ruling by the Supreme Court, a new report released Monday finds.
The author of the report, archaeologist Tzachi Zweig-Devira, told Arutz Sheva that his report is based on a personal visit he made to the Temple Mount.
At the eastern part of the Temple Mount, said Zweig-Devira, there is a pile of dirt and antiquities, which he documented the Waqf moving without supervision of an official from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). This, he said, is a direct violation of a Supreme Court ruling from 2004 which forbids moving the pile until it becomes clear what it contains. Anyone wishing to move the pile must give 30 days' advance notification, according to the Supreme Court's ruling.
Zweig-Devira noted that the seemingly worthless pile of dirt may have significant archaeological findings. Similar piles in the past have included, among other things, signatures of Cohanim (priests) mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah, remains of the Holy Temple plaza, and additional findings from various time periods.
He noted that he and other archaeologists locate dozens of ancient artifacts every day in the pile in question.
According to Zweig-Devira, the Waqf is also failing to protect beams from the period of the First Temple, leaving them exposed to the rains and not placing plastic on them to protect them from bad weather.
He noted that Waqf officials moved the aforementioned pile of artifacts on Sunday when there were no visitors to the Temple Mount, and there was no monitoring by IAA officials.
The Temple Mount was left in the hands of the Waqf following Jerusalem’s reunification in 1967, a decision of then-Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. The Waqf has taken advantage of this and removed every sign of ancient Jewish presence at the most Jewish holy site. At the entrance, a Waqf sign says, “The Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard and everything in it is Islamic property”.
Police, in an attempt to appease the Waqf, discriminate against Jews. They limit the number of Jewish worshippers allowed on the Temple Mount at one time in order to prevent conflict with Muslim worshippers. They often close the Mount to Jews in response to Muslim riots – despite evidence that Muslim riots have been planned in advance for the specific purpose of forcing Jews out.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has said that the Temple Mount is part of Israeli territory so Israeli law applies there, including antiquities laws and laws regarding building and planning.
Officials in the Palestinian Authority slammed Weinstein for the ruling, saying that “Muslims are the only ones who own this mosque.”
Zweig-Devira called on Israel to enforce its sovereignty over the Temple Mount and clarify to the Waqf that nothing can be moved from the Temple Mount area without supervision and approval.
Israel's policies concerning the Temple Mount have been very magnanimous, with respect to Muslim access and even control, but, with what result? Islamic clerics have continued to preach “death to the Jews”, and Muslims have continued to attack Israel, and to declare their intent to destroy Israel. And so, clearly, something must be done to change the situation, rather than perpetuate it.
Israel should implant explosives around the Al Aqsa Mosque and declare that the next Muslim attack on Israel will bring the destruction of the Mosque. That may shock you, but I didn't say that Israel should destroy the Mosque. I would leave that decision to the Islamic clerics who currently incite violence against Israel. I would put the future of the Mosque squarely in the hands of the those who lead the Muslim World.. They can issue Fatwas,... prohibiting any attacks on Israel, or, they can see their Mosque destroyed. They can decide against terrorism and have their Mosque, or they can continue terrorism, and lose it.
If the strategy is successful, Israel will enjoy a respite from attacks. And, if the strategy is not successful, Israel will be no worse off than it is now, surrounded by Muslim entities that want to destroy it, and criticized by the largely anti-Semitic Western World, which panders to the Muslim World, . And, if the strategy is not successful, and the Mosque is destroyed, Israel can clear the site and commence reconstruction of the Jewish Temple. The Europeans and Obama would condemn that, since the concern of the Europeans and Obama for their relations with the Muslim World are far greater than their concern for Israel’s practice of Judaism. The silence of the West during the period when Muslims controlled the Temple Mount, and denied Jewish access to Jewish Holy Sites attests to that. If it was a Jewish Temple sitting on the Mount, and the Muslims gained control, they would destroy it and commence construction of a Mosque on the site, as they have done with so many Jewish temples and synagogues in the past. Wouldn't they?
The author of the report, archaeologist Tzachi Zweig-Devira, told Arutz Sheva that his report is based on a personal visit he made to the Temple Mount.
At the eastern part of the Temple Mount, said Zweig-Devira, there is a pile of dirt and antiquities, which he documented the Waqf moving without supervision of an official from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). This, he said, is a direct violation of a Supreme Court ruling from 2004 which forbids moving the pile until it becomes clear what it contains. Anyone wishing to move the pile must give 30 days' advance notification, according to the Supreme Court's ruling.
Zweig-Devira noted that the seemingly worthless pile of dirt may have significant archaeological findings. Similar piles in the past have included, among other things, signatures of Cohanim (priests) mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah, remains of the Holy Temple plaza, and additional findings from various time periods.
He noted that he and other archaeologists locate dozens of ancient artifacts every day in the pile in question.
According to Zweig-Devira, the Waqf is also failing to protect beams from the period of the First Temple, leaving them exposed to the rains and not placing plastic on them to protect them from bad weather.
He noted that Waqf officials moved the aforementioned pile of artifacts on Sunday when there were no visitors to the Temple Mount, and there was no monitoring by IAA officials.
The Temple Mount was left in the hands of the Waqf following Jerusalem’s reunification in 1967, a decision of then-Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. The Waqf has taken advantage of this and removed every sign of ancient Jewish presence at the most Jewish holy site. At the entrance, a Waqf sign says, “The Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard and everything in it is Islamic property”.
Police, in an attempt to appease the Waqf, discriminate against Jews. They limit the number of Jewish worshippers allowed on the Temple Mount at one time in order to prevent conflict with Muslim worshippers. They often close the Mount to Jews in response to Muslim riots – despite evidence that Muslim riots have been planned in advance for the specific purpose of forcing Jews out.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has said that the Temple Mount is part of Israeli territory so Israeli law applies there, including antiquities laws and laws regarding building and planning.
Officials in the Palestinian Authority slammed Weinstein for the ruling, saying that “Muslims are the only ones who own this mosque.”
Zweig-Devira called on Israel to enforce its sovereignty over the Temple Mount and clarify to the Waqf that nothing can be moved from the Temple Mount area without supervision and approval.
Israel's policies concerning the Temple Mount have been very magnanimous, with respect to Muslim access and even control, but, with what result? Islamic clerics have continued to preach “death to the Jews”, and Muslims have continued to attack Israel, and to declare their intent to destroy Israel. And so, clearly, something must be done to change the situation, rather than perpetuate it.
Israel should implant explosives around the Al Aqsa Mosque and declare that the next Muslim attack on Israel will bring the destruction of the Mosque. That may shock you, but I didn't say that Israel should destroy the Mosque. I would leave that decision to the Islamic clerics who currently incite violence against Israel. I would put the future of the Mosque squarely in the hands of the those who lead the Muslim World.. They can issue Fatwas,... prohibiting any attacks on Israel, or, they can see their Mosque destroyed. They can decide against terrorism and have their Mosque, or they can continue terrorism, and lose it.
If the strategy is successful, Israel will enjoy a respite from attacks. And, if the strategy is not successful, Israel will be no worse off than it is now, surrounded by Muslim entities that want to destroy it, and criticized by the largely anti-Semitic Western World, which panders to the Muslim World, . And, if the strategy is not successful, and the Mosque is destroyed, Israel can clear the site and commence reconstruction of the Jewish Temple. The Europeans and Obama would condemn that, since the concern of the Europeans and Obama for their relations with the Muslim World are far greater than their concern for Israel’s practice of Judaism. The silence of the West during the period when Muslims controlled the Temple Mount, and denied Jewish access to Jewish Holy Sites attests to that. If it was a Jewish Temple sitting on the Mount, and the Muslims gained control, they would destroy it and commence construction of a Mosque on the site, as they have done with so many Jewish temples and synagogues in the past. Wouldn't they?
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