Speaking with Arutz Sheva, respected Jerusalem archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar who excavated the Ophel area nearby described the severity of damage already caused, and efforts to stop the construction so as to prevent future damage.
Mazar explained that ancient remains being damaged in the archeological complex under Robinson’s Arch near the Western Wall are one-of-a-kind. “We’re talking about the only surviving remains from the original fall of the Second Temple as it was destroyed by the Romans, [the rock slabs that] they knocked onto the original street near the Western Wall that existed during the Second Temple. This is the only place that we can show such an important and defining chapter in the history of Jerusalem, in the history of the Jewish People as it existed during the Second Temple.”
Mazar said that the construction has caused serious damage: “They turned the site into a pile of garbage. It’s just unbelievable what they did there. We need to remove what they did there and leave the entire archaeological complex alone.”