Israeli authorities, willfully or inadvertently, have allowed the utter destruction of archaeologically important artifacts on the Temple Mount to continue, without so much as properly investigating the matter. So says Dr. Eilat Mazar, of the Committee for the Protection of Temple Mount Artifacts, in a talk with Arutz-7 today.
Dr. Mazar said that the Islamic Waqf authorities and the Israeli Islamic Movement, who are behind the work being carried out on the Mount, have a singular objective: \"To fill the Mount with a complex of mosques both above and below ground.\" Excavation and construction to that end are continuing without stop, she said, yet no government agency is doing anything about it: “The police are \'telling stories\' to the Minister for Internal Security and maybe also to the Prime Minister, but [we have strong evidence that] in fact the illegal works are going on.\"
Such construction includes a new monument in memory of Feisal Husseini, who was responsible for PLO activities from the Orient House and who is buried in a chamber adjacent to the Temple Mount. When confronted with the evidence of such construction, the Jerusalem police explained that the Waqf was merely leveling floor tiles in the area - yet no such floor damage had ever been observed there previously. Other illegal work being carried out is excavation in ancient cisterns, something that by rights should only be done by the Antiquities Authority. “It is not our job to protect the Temple Mount,” complained Dr. Mazar. “There are officers of the Antiquities Authority and of the Jerusalem Municipality whose job it is to [oversee the construction on the Temple Mount]. Instead they are prevented from going up there, while the police provide excuses for all the illegal activities… and for what?”
Meanwhile, Dr. Mazar says, the political leaders who have proclaimed so vociferously in the past that the Temple Mount is “our soul,” today are not willing to act to prevent the destruction. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has yet to meet with the Committee members, and Public Security Minister Uzi Landau continues to maintain that there is no illegal construction being carried out on the Temple Mount.
Dr. Mazar said that the Islamic Waqf authorities and the Israeli Islamic Movement, who are behind the work being carried out on the Mount, have a singular objective: \"To fill the Mount with a complex of mosques both above and below ground.\" Excavation and construction to that end are continuing without stop, she said, yet no government agency is doing anything about it: “The police are \'telling stories\' to the Minister for Internal Security and maybe also to the Prime Minister, but [we have strong evidence that] in fact the illegal works are going on.\"
Such construction includes a new monument in memory of Feisal Husseini, who was responsible for PLO activities from the Orient House and who is buried in a chamber adjacent to the Temple Mount. When confronted with the evidence of such construction, the Jerusalem police explained that the Waqf was merely leveling floor tiles in the area - yet no such floor damage had ever been observed there previously. Other illegal work being carried out is excavation in ancient cisterns, something that by rights should only be done by the Antiquities Authority. “It is not our job to protect the Temple Mount,” complained Dr. Mazar. “There are officers of the Antiquities Authority and of the Jerusalem Municipality whose job it is to [oversee the construction on the Temple Mount]. Instead they are prevented from going up there, while the police provide excuses for all the illegal activities… and for what?”
Meanwhile, Dr. Mazar says, the political leaders who have proclaimed so vociferously in the past that the Temple Mount is “our soul,” today are not willing to act to prevent the destruction. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has yet to meet with the Committee members, and Public Security Minister Uzi Landau continues to maintain that there is no illegal construction being carried out on the Temple Mount.