Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has agreed to convene a restricted forum of ministers and other public officials to discuss the danger that the Temple Mount's southern wall may collapse. Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein, security force heads and Antiquities Authority officials are expected to participate.
The issue burst onto the public scene yesterday morning during an interview on Israel Radio with archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar. Dr. Mazar repeated what she had told Arutz-7 last week, namely that the wall is in imminent danger of collapse. Interior Minister Eli Yeshai was sufficiently alarmed to ask Cabinet Secretary Gideon Sa'ar to include the issue on the agenda of the next cabinet meeting. "Thousands of [Moslem] worshipers are in danger," Yeshai said. "It is the government's duty to look into the matter in depth and to decide on a comprehensive plan to save the wall."
Compounding the difficulties is the attitude adopted by the Waqf, the Muslim religious trust that essentially runs the Temple Mount. The Waqf refuses most dealings with the government, generally prevents Jews from entering the Temple Mount, and even insists that the southern wall is not in danger of collapsing. The government's options are either to pursue cooperation with the Waqf, or to declare the southern wall, or part of it, a site in danger of collapse. This would empower the Jerusalem Municipality to ban any activities or presence in or around the area. Attorney-General Rubenstein must first authorize such action, however.
The issue burst onto the public scene yesterday morning during an interview on Israel Radio with archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar. Dr. Mazar repeated what she had told Arutz-7 last week, namely that the wall is in imminent danger of collapse. Interior Minister Eli Yeshai was sufficiently alarmed to ask Cabinet Secretary Gideon Sa'ar to include the issue on the agenda of the next cabinet meeting. "Thousands of [Moslem] worshipers are in danger," Yeshai said. "It is the government's duty to look into the matter in depth and to decide on a comprehensive plan to save the wall."
Compounding the difficulties is the attitude adopted by the Waqf, the Muslim religious trust that essentially runs the Temple Mount. The Waqf refuses most dealings with the government, generally prevents Jews from entering the Temple Mount, and even insists that the southern wall is not in danger of collapsing. The government's options are either to pursue cooperation with the Waqf, or to declare the southern wall, or part of it, a site in danger of collapse. This would empower the Jerusalem Municipality to ban any activities or presence in or around the area. Attorney-General Rubenstein must first authorize such action, however.