Yisrael Caspi, of the Committee to Save the Temple Mount, told the Knesset Education Committee yesterday that the desecration of the holy site by Moslem Waqf construction continues unabated. He said hundreds of Islamic Movement volunteers arrived at the site on Tuesday to help in the excavations. This morning, he added that the government has made no decisions on the matter, that the work is being carried out based on illegal permits granted by ex-Prime Minister Barak, and that it must stop.
\"We are willing to give the new government a chance, but a freeze must be imposed immediately,\" Caspi said. \"The Temple Mount gates must be closed, preventing the entry of special rock-cutting equipment that was brought in this week, and the works must be stopped.\" Caspi said that the police reports denying the extent of the works are untrue: \"The police don\'t want to look, while we have clear evidence and aerial photographs showing the extensive damage that has been done.\" Education Minister Limor Livnat said, \"The previous government enabled this desecration to take place, and it is now up to the present government to find the way to stop this - but not with wild actions.\"