Previous Reports

5. WAQF OPENS NEW TEMPLE MOUNT ENTRANCE
The police have decided not to seal the new entrance to the Temple Mount opened by the Moslem Waqf a few days ago, and the decision has been approved by Prime Minister Ehud Barak. The police claim that the entrance is needed as an additional exit for large crowds in case of emergency. The Jerusalem Municipality and the Antiquities Authority have protested the decision. MK Benny Elon (National Union), who called yesterday for the entrance to be closed, terms the decision not to do so a "surrender to the Islamic Movement."

Dec 1, 99

1. ATT'Y-GEN: WE HAVE LOST CONTROL OVER TEMPLE MOUNT
The Moslem Waqf's newly-opened illegal entrance on the Temple Mount is still up for discussion in Israeli government circles. Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami says that no forceful entry to the Temple Mount will be made to seal the new 12-meter entrance. "We will not be like the Netanyahu government," he said, "that opened the Hasmonean tunnels without considering the ramifications... I believe that it will be possible to have the entrance sealed without the use of force... I don't want to put on a show of force that will cause the entire city to burn - but there are other ways to ensure that the artifacts on the Mount are preserved, and that there will be effective archaeological supervision there - and I will recommend to the Prime Minister that we go all the way on this matter."

At a meeting on the matter last night in the Public Security Minister's office, senior police officials said that if the entrance is sealed up - as occurred three months ago with a much smaller entranceway illegally opened by the Waqf - there are liable to be severe Arab riots on the Temple Mount. Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein admitted at the meeting that the Israeli law enforcement authorities have basically lost control over what happens on the Temple Mount. Antiquities Authority chief Amir Drori called the Waqf action an "archaeological crime," while the Attorney-General said that "the remnants of the history of the Jewish people are being trampled. The Waqf must be told that we have tolerance for their worship, but that they will not be allowed to kick aside our history."

Likud MK Danny Naveh, speaking on Arutz-7 today, commented: "I agree that the Temple Mount issue in Jerusalem is sensitive and potentially explosive, but the question is how did the Barak government allow itself to get into this situation in the first place. Three months ago, Barak knew of the Palestinian plans on the Mount, and said, 'OK, let them do it, as long as they coordinate it with us.' So the Palestinians carried out their works, and didn't coordinate with us. Over the last ten days, the government saw tractors and trucks coming in to the Mount, and didn't do a thing to stop them."

Gush Shalom [Peace Bloc] issued a statement today calling upon the government to announce unequivocally that "the Temple Mount is a Moslem area, and that it has no intention of intervening in what goes on there, so that this issue may be removed once and for all from the public agenda."

Dec 2, 99

1. ARAB CONSTRUCTION ON TEMPLE MOUNT BEMOANED
The Temple Mount movements plan to petition the Supreme Court against the illegal Moslem Waqf construction works on the Mount. They have already demanded that the Attorney-General order the works frozen, and forbid further construction materials and heavy equipment from being brought to the site. Legal and other experts are of the assumption that the State Prosecution will have trouble justifying its traditional stance against government intervention, because the present situation is strong evidence that the State is unsuccessful in supervising the Waqf's activities.

Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert has ordered a stop-work order on Waqf activities in the Solomon's Stables area under the Temple Mount. He has also instructed the city's District Attorney to begin proceedings against the Waqf for the works it has already carried out.

"Now that the terrible crime, of which we have warned time and time again, has been completed," states the Temple Mount Faithful Movement, "and its grave dimensions are now clear, while our voice was like a lonely cry in the wilderness, the Attorney-General wakes up and claims that 'the remnants of Jewish history are being trampled and kicked on the Temple Mount.' True, but too little, too late..." The organization plans to turn to the United Nations to protest "its silence in the face of this destruction of the most holy site to the People of Israel, while rushing to condemn Israel for legal construction activities in its own capital city."

Dec 3, 99

1. EFFORTS TO BLOCK WAQF
The Waqf's construction works on the Temple Mount continued uninterrupted over the weekend. The Jerusalem Municipality has begun legal proceedings against the works, and sought a court order today to block them. If the Moslem Waqf does not halt its activities there within a week, the city will ask for police intervention. The Moslems have recently opened a 12-meter wide opening in the Solomon's Stables area under the southern area of the Temple Mount, and great damage to Jewish archeological artifacts there is feared.

Prime Minister Barak refuses to hear criticism by Likud members of his handling of the matter. "To hear criticism of our judgement from some of the main players in the [Hasmonean] Tunnels fiasco," he said today, "the ramifications of which we have made an effort to neutralize, but which helped foster the friction between the Waqf and the police, which has in turn brought about a situation whereby Waqf works are occasionally carried out without being coordinated with the Antiquities Authority - to hear criticism from those who were key players in this fiasco, is... strange, and even absurd."

Dec 5, 99

1. WAQF WORKS GO ON
Despite Jerusalem Affairs Minister Chaim Ramon's announcement today that the Waqf construction works on the Temple Mount have ceased, Knesset Members touring the site this morning learned that such is not the case. Members of the Knesset Education Committee - responsible for the Antiquities Authority - recounted afterwards that which they saw today at the new entrance opened illegally by the Waqf: "We saw extensive works being carried out, involving the opening-up of the large arches there. Two of the arches have already been opened, and the Moslems have broken through the third. The police are trying to stop this, but the Moslems are continuing to work, and we saw trucks and much activity going on."

Chairman Zevulun Orlev said, "There is no ethnic dispute here, it is a dispute over sovereignty - does the State of Israel enforce its laws on the Temple Mount or not?" Committee member MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) disagreed: "It is not just a question of violating the Antiquities Law, which is an important issue in itself. There are also deep religious-political ramifications: We heard from several sources that the reason the Waqf is doing this is to prevent the Jews from being able to pray on the only place on the Temple Mount where they are halakhically permitted to do so."

Dec 6, 99

3. CITY OF JERUSALEM TO BLOCK WAQF; TIBI THREATENS WAR
The Temple Mount controversy took a new turn today when the legal advisor of the Jerusalem municipality issued an order to halt Waqf building activity on the Temple Mount. City officials also intend to launch legal proceedings against all elements responsible for violating the zoning and construction laws in the area. Prime Minister Barak is hosting a "comprehensive deliberation" on the issue in his office today. Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert - who reportedly has some concrete proposals of how to handle the crisis - has also been invited to attend the meeting.

Justice Minister Yossi Beilin is troubled by the new activism emanating from the Jerusalem Municipality. He said today:

"Ever since 1967, no Israeli government has tried to fully exercise Israeli sovereignty over the Temple Mount. The issue there is a very sensitive one..., and every Moslem home boasts a photograph of the Al-Aksa Mosque."
Jerusalem businessman Yisrael Goldberg has found that Jewish Israelis are also fond of the Temple Mount. Speaking with Arutz-7 today, Goldberg told of how he sold and distributed hundreds of thousands of copies of a photo-montage of the Temple on the Temple Mount:
"People from all walks of Israeli life, religious Jews and many who do not wear yarmulkas, common folk and politicians, and even deputy mayors from all over the country - have mounted the picture in prominent places in their homes and offices."
The illegal Arab construction on the Temple Mount was also the central issue of a popular Israeli talk show last night. One of the guests on the show, Knesset member and former Arafat confidant Ahmed Tibi, issued an on-air ultimatum to the Barak government. Following is an excerpt from the interview:

Knesset Member Tibi: If the Israeli government and elements in the right wing will not recognize -
Interviewer: Do you not identify with the Israeli side?

Knesset Member Tibi: No, not on this point..I am a Moslem, and I identify with [the] Al-Aksa [Mosque]... If the Israeli government and the Israeli side and people on the right refuse to recognize the adminstrative authority of the Moslem Waqf, and continue to be affected by the incitement coming from the right wing - then there will be no 'Millenium' here, there will be an 'Apocalypse' here! If someone has the nerve to contemplate closing the two entrances that have been opened, I am saying to you, and this is a warning -
Interviewer: Are you saying this as a representative of Arafat or are you expressing your own view?

Knesset Member Tibi: I know what will happen - if someone has the nerve to close the entrances, he is declaring war on the Moselms!

In related news, two members of the Temple Mount Faithful movement were permitted to enter the Temple Mount this afternoon. Police, however, forbade the two to pray there or to carry any type of poster or sign.

Dec 7, 99

4. ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT
The construction works on the Temple Mount continue, despite the orders issued by the Jerusalem municipality against them. Ten trucks have been seen taking earth and other remnants of the construction works to the Jerusalem city dump outside the village of Al-Azariyeh.

Dec 8, 99

9. CHAI VEKAYAM WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S BEING CARTED AWAY
The more talk is heard from officials about the Waqf construction works on the Temple Mount, the more the works seem to proceed apace. Trucks and bulldozers full of dirt and other remains continue to make their way from the Mount to the Jerusalem city dump. The Chai Vekayam movement petitioned the Supreme Court on the matter today. Yehuda Etzion, leader of Chai Vekayam, said today that there must be supervision over the refuse that is being discarded - "Who knows what untold cultural and historical treasures could be there..."

Dec 9, 99

4. TEMPLE MOUNT SUFFERS GREAT BLOW
A resident of Ma'aleh Zeitim - the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras el-Amoud - noticed suspicious midnight activity not far from his home two nights ago, and promptly called MK Rabbi Benny Elon (National Union) and an official of the Antiquities Authority. But it was too late: At least 100 trucks, hired by the Moslem Waqf, had already begun a sudden midnight mission to transport tons of dirt filled with unsifted and unexamined artifacts and dump it in the Kidron Valley. The dirt was the by-product of the ongoing illegal Waqf construction activity at Solomon's Stables under the Temple Mount.

Only the police had been informed of the dumping operation - despite an arrangement made three months ago between Ehud Barak and the Waqf, according to which the Waqf must coordinate all its construction works with the police, the Antiquities Authority, and the Jerusalem Municipality. The trucks sped out of Lions' Gate, on the eastern wall of the Old City, towards the adjacent Kidron Valley, in order to complete the dumping as fast as possible. A senior archaeologist told television reporter Benny Liss, "There has been no bigger blow to the Temple Mount since the destruction of the Temple itself."

The new mountain of dirt in the Kidron Valley, tens of meters high, is now being combed by archaeologists, but they have little hope of making significant finds. MK Elon, participating in a Knesset Education Committee session today together with Jerusalem Police Chief Ya'ir Yitzchaki, strongly rebuked Yitzchaki for permitting the Moslem Waqf to take this action and for neglecting to inform the Municipality or the Antiquities Authority. "It seems that the police did nothing except to help the Waqf break the law," Elon told Arutz-7 today. "Yitzchaki wants quiet, and the Jewish People will have to pay the price for generations."

Dec 14, 99

1. ZO ARTZEINU RE-STARTS IN JERUSALEM
A group of ten people, including an archaeologist, were stopped this morning by the police from examining the hill of dirt and archaeological remains that the Waqf "formed" in the Kidron Valley three nights ago. Yehuda Etzion of the Temple Mount Faithful, one of the leaders of the group, told Arutz-7 with amazement that he is being accused of "robbing archaeological findings." "This is unbelievable," he said. "The police allowed the Waqf to remove these 100 truckloads of dirt, containing these holy stones that are of primary importance to the Jewish People, and yet we - who are trying to sift through it in order to salvage some of the knowledge that is going down the drain here - are being accused of robbery?!" Etzion said that already, "pieces of pottery anywhere from one centimeter to 20 centimeters (8 inches) in size have been found here."

Moshe Feiglin, speaking with Arutz-7 from the site, made a startling announcement: "The association that passes though my mind here is of an Israeli Kristallnacht - when the Germans destroyed synagogues and scattered and burnt the holy books of the Jewish people on the streets, the world was aghast - but now, when the Waqf scatters to the dust the very foundation of our national identity and our people, and when we try to save them, the Antiquities Authority tries to stop us. I can simply no longer tolerate this, and I hereby announce here and now that I am re-establishing the Zo Artzeinu (This is Our Land) Movement, in full force, and the struggle will begin here." Zo Artzeinu was instrumental in leading the public protests against the Oslo Agreements some years ago.

Later in the afternoon, Yehuda Etzion informed Arutz-7 that a compromise of sorts had been reached with the Antiquities Authority, and that his group had been allowed to sift through the dirt mountain for a "sampling" of finds. He said that among other finds were a number of First Temple porcelain and pottery pieces, many such pieces from the Second Temple period, and several from later periods.

Etzion also informed Arutz-7 during the course of the interview that he had just been informed that a judge had responded positively to a suit by the Temple Mount Faithful regarding the Waqf's illegal construction activities. The suit demands Israeli supervision over the refuse that is being discarded by the Waqf in the course of their illegal construction on and beneath the Temple Mount. The court ordered the Antiquities Authority to respond to the suit by 2:30 PM tomorrow.

Dec 15, 99

4. TEMPLE MOUNT DESECRATION TO BE FOCUS OF ZO ARTZEINU PROTESTS
Following yesterday's announcement that Zo Artzeinu -"This is Our Land" - will be fully re-activated, leader Moshe Feiglin has announced that a giant demonstration will be held on Monday, Dec. 27, outside the Temple Mount on the Mt. of Olives. The topic of the protest: the desecration of the Temple Mount by the Moslem Waqf. Feiglin promised that the rally would have a permit and that there would be no violence, but did not promise that laws would not be violated. "Whatever was permitted the truck-drivers when they protested the rise in fuel prices, is also permitted those who protest the desecration of our Land," he said.

In a letter today to Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein, Antiquities Authority Head Amir Drori, and Jerusalem Police Chief Ya'ir Yitzchaki, Feiglin wrote,

"The remains of 'the largest destruction at the Temple Mount since the razing of the Second Temple' (in the words of Antiquities Authority personnel) have been discarded like excrement in the Kidron Valley and in various dumping grounds in the vicinity. A first sampling that we carried out there turned up finds that with certainty date from the First and Second Temples. It is also quite reasonable to assume that very significant finds from the site that is holiest to the Jewish People - a site that has never been excavated - are now buried in various Jerusalem dumps. The Moslem Waqf well understands the significance of what [it has done], and is already attempting to cover these finds with piles of garbage...
"Your immediate and primary job must be to fence in the site, and to protect the past and future of the Jewish Nation. Please! Do not allow the terrible delinquency that has occurred up to now continue.

"If you do not carry out guarding (and research) activities immediately in the sites of the dumping, the Zo Artzeinu movement will station permanent guards over the remains of our holy site in the Kidron Valley and elsewhere. We are not interested in a conflict with the local Arabs, and certainly not with the law-enforcement bodies, but we will see ourselves as betraying the very foundations of our Jewish essence if the abandonment of these remains continues without our acting to salvage them. We will not adhere to any call to evacuate the site unless it is accompanied by adequate supervision there commissioned by you.

"Please! Let us not add sin to iniquity - Carry out your jobs!"

Feiglin told Arutz-7's Ron Meir yesterday that he is tired of being governed only by what is perceived as "practical," and that he has decided to do what is "important." The full interview can be heard on Arutz-7's audio page.

Dec 16, 99

4. TEMPLE MOUNT FINDS
Remnants from both the First and Second Temple Periods - mostly pottery and stone vessels, but also fragments of buildings - were discovered in archeological examinations of the piles of refuse from under the Temple Mount. The piles were formed by over 100 truckloads of dirt and remains dumped by the Moslem Waqf into the Kidron Valley this week. Archeologist Dan Bahat discovered this morning that of the materials extracted by Chai Vekayam members, one-fifth of the materials date to each of the First Temple period and Second Temple periods. Additional archeologists will further review the material later today.

In light of the recent desecration of the ancient Jewish sites under the Temple Mount, MK Rabbi Benny Elon (National Union) has called upon Israel's Chief Rabbis Lau and Bakshi-Doron to reconsider their pronouncement that Jews are forbidden to enter the Temple Mount. Elon notes that Jewish law permits Jews to enter several locations on the Mount under certain conditions, and that the present blanket prohibition serves the purposes of the Moslem. Elon fears that in the end, the Beilin-Abu Mazen plan will be implemented, Jerusalem will be divided, and the Temple Mount will be officially transferred to the sovereignty of the Palestinian Authority.

Dec 17, 99

2. ARCHAEOLOGIST EXPLAINS TEMPLE MOUNT LOSSES
The Antiquities Authority claims that the Waqf, before trucking and discarding remains from under the Temple Mount last week, removed specially-engraved stones and additional findings. The claim is included in the Authority's response to a Supreme Court petition submitted by Chai VeKayam and the Temple Mount Faithful, demanding official supervision over the Waqf's evacuation of the remains. The groups also demand that the Waqf's illegal construction at the holy site be halted immediately.

Roni Reich, an Antiquities Authority archaeologist, spoke with Arutz-7 today: "True, there are archaeologists who claim that no damage was done [by the Waqf under the Temple Mount], because a bulldozer worked carefully, under supervision, and didn't touch the walls or arches. But [I and others claim that] the actual removal of dirt from under the Temple Mount, with heavy equipment, and in such great quantities - 50 to 100 tons - is a terrible blow in itself... "

When asked whether the Waqf's actions may have been a blessing in disguise, in that Temple Mount remnants are, for the first time, now accessible to archaeologists, Reich replied, "You're being cynical, I'm sure. I don't need anyone to take out dirt with a bulldozer, throw it in a rubbish dump, and then tell me to go sift it out. No, archaeology is not simply cleaning out a site from its dirt. The dirt is an intrinsic part of the archaeological site. I wanted to see this dirt while it was being excavated, and to document where each gram comes from and from which historical period... Archaeology is a science that is carried out and documented on the spot, not afterwards. It is the only field of science, by the way, in addition to that of experimenting on humans, that requires a license from the government; in other disciplines, everyone has freedom to do what they like. This is because archaeology must be done carefully and systematically, and can only be done once."

Dec 20, 99

2. GIANT RALLY OVERLOOKING TEMPLE MOUNT TONIGHT
An ancient arched building has been found - and destroyed - by the Moslem Waqf under the Temple Mount several meters from Solomon's Stables. It was apparently found on Shabbat, but by yesterday an archaeologist who was at the site said he saw nothing.

The Zo Artzeinu (This is Our Land) movement is resuming its public protest activities at 7 PM tonight, with a giant rally at Mt. Scopus (just past the Hebrew University campus) against the desecration of the Temple Mount by the Moslem Waqf. Zo Artzeinu leader Moshe Feiglin, speaking with Arutz-7's Haggai Segal today, agreed with the latter's assertion that the movement had moved from "solving individual, localized problems, to dealing with more general, historic issues." Feiglin said, "How can we wage a struggle for the limbs of the nation, if we turn our backs on the heart of the Land, the heart of the nation? We must begin by telling the truth to ourselves, first of all. When we [Israel] took down the flag after capturing the Temple Mount in the Six Day War, that was the beginning of our collapse in Judea and Samaria and the Golan. The way to tell if there is life in a body is by stabbing it; if pain is felt, and if a scream is heard, this is a sign of life. Whoever comes to participate in tonight's demonstration is reacting to the stabbing in the heart of the Jewish people, and is showing that he feels pain and is still alive. This will be a show that Am Yisrael Chai - the People of Israel lives!"

Segal asked, "What will the slogans be tonight? Will you be yelling against the Waqf's illegal construction on the Temple Mount?" Feiglin responded:

"The truth is that we've passed the stage of yelling against someone else. This is not a demonstration against Barak, or Bibi, or Rabin, or anyone else. It is first of all a complaint against myself, against ourselves - how is it that this is the first time in 30 years that a demonstration of thousands has been organized about our loss of sovereignty on the Temple Mount? We, the religious public, are the first ones to be blamed for turning our backs. How can we come to Ehud Barak with complaints on this issue - what does he understand about it? This is first of all a form of repentance for us, a call to renew our covenant with 'the site of our holy place,' and from here we will secure strength for our struggle for the entire Land."
Hevron spokesman Noam Arnon also related to this issue, saying, "Certainly the Halakhic limitations [on entry to the Temple Mount] impede our full relationship with the area - but this does not have to lead to such severe estrangement from the site."
Segal asked Feiglin why tonight's rally, which has received a license from the police, is being held at Mt. Scopus: "Why not at the Western Wall, for instance?" Feiglin:

"Because it would then be interpreted as just another of the many prayer rallies that are occasionally held there. We want to combine and emphasize the nationalistic issue of the prayer, and to ensure that this aspect is not blurred over. The top of Mt. Scopus is very fitting for this event, as it is the spot at which Rabbi Akiva looked out over the newly-desolate Temple Mount some 1900 years ago and saw foxes prowling around - and laughed in anticipation of the forthcoming Redemption."

Dec 27, 99

4. TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS RAISED About 4,000 people took part in a demonstration last night on Mt. Scopus overlooking the Temple Mount, in light of the increasing loss of Israeli control of the holy site. Moshe Feiglin of Zo Artzeinu, chief organizer of the event, told Arutz-7's Ron Meir today, "On Shabbat, the Waqf builders found a structure, possibly from the times of the Temple, under the Temple Mount. They did not report it to the authorities, but instead destroyed it, rock by rock... Our main goal last night was to raise awareness of the Temple Mount, our nation's holiest place - not to turn a cold shoulder to the heart of the nation."

Feiglin added, "the use of civil disobedience may have arrived faster - or, rather, Ehud Barak is bringing it faster - than we had thought. And after what they did to you today in Arutz-7, it seems that Ehud Barak is pushing us to the corner quicker than expected..."

Speaking with Arutz-7 yesterday, Feiglin agreed that his Zo Artzeinu movement had moved from "solving individual, localized problems, to dealing with more general, historic issues." Feiglin said, "How can we wage a struggle for the limbs of the nation, if we turn our backs on the heart of the Land, the heart of the nation? We must begin by telling the truth to ourselves, first of all. When we [Israel] took down the flag after capturing the Temple Mount in the Six Day War, that was the beginning of our collapse in Judea and Samaria and the Golan. The way to tell if there is life in a body is by stabbing it; if pain is felt, and if a scream is heard, this is a sign of life. Whoever comes to participate in tonight's demonstration is reacting to the stabbing in the heart of the Jewish people, and is showing that he feels pain and is still alive. This will be a show that Am Yisrael Chai - the People of Israel lives!"

Arutz-7's Segal asked, "What will the slogans be tonight? Will you be yelling against the Waqf's illegal construction on the Temple Mount?" Feiglin responded: "The truth is that we've passed the stage of yelling against someone else. This is not a demonstration against Barak, or Bibi, or Rabin, or anyone else. It is first of all a complaint against myself, against ourselves - how is it that this is the first time in 30 years that a demonstration of thousands has been organized about our loss of sovereignty on the Temple Mount? We, the religious public, are the first ones to be blamed for turning our backs. How can we come to Ehud Barak with complaints on this issue - what does he understand about it? This is first of all a form of repentance for us, a call to renew our covenant with 'the site of our holy place,' and from here we will secure strength for our struggle for the entire Land... The top of Mt. Scopus is very fitting for this event, as it is the spot at which Rabbi Akiva looked out over the newly-desolate Temple Mount some 1900 years ago and saw foxes prowling around - and laughed in anticipation of the forthcoming Redemption."

Dec 28, 99

6. WAQF WORKS CONTINUE
The illegal excavations and construction works by the Moslem Waqf under the Temple Mount continue. The size of the work site is now 25 by 50 meters, and five ancient arches have been exposed. Ha'aretz reports that Prime Minister Barak has approved the opening of two of these arches, which will become a main entrance to the mosque, and not, as the Waqf had earlier requested, an emergency exit. Despite Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami's promise, no Israeli representatives - from the police or Antiquities Authority - are supervising the diggings, which have already resulted in tons of dirt and lost ancient artifacts being thrown out in city dumps. The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on a petition submitted on the matter by the Temple Mount Faithful

Jan 3, 00

7. ARCHAEOLOGISTS PROTEST
Moslem Waqf workers on the Temple Mount began to fashion concrete frames for the underground openings that they illegally made over the past weeks. They have also poured concrete for a supporting wall on the eastern side of the Temple Mount. The Chai Vekayam movement, whose petition against the works is still pending, claims that chances for orderly archaeological excavations at the site are becoming slimmer.

Close to 30 senior archaeologists protested at the Kidron Valley today, where the Moslem Waqf has been dumping artifacts that it excavated from below the Temple Mount. The archaeologists say that the Waqf is desecrating holy Jewish artifacts as well as violating Israel's Antiquities Law, and have called on Atty.-Gen. Elyakim Rubenstein to act to stop the illegal excavations on the Temple Mount.

Jan 6, 00

8. IGNORING THE DAMAGE
Israel's press is turning a blind eye to the archaeological damage on the Temple Mount. So says archaeology student Tzachi Tzveig, who organized last Thursday's demonstration of senior archaeologists in the Kidron Valley. He told Arutz-7 today about the recent rally sponsored by Zo Artzeinu, "which attracted 5,000 people who protested the Waqf's desecration of the Temple Mount. This was the first time in the history of the State that such a large demonstration on this issue took place! Everyone who was there saw the plethora of reporters and television cameras. Yet the next day's papers totally ignored it! Then came last Thursday's 30-person demonstration, including seven very senior archaeologists. Again, there were many reporters, including foreign and local news services, but neither of the two major morning papers mentioned that the protest even took place. I found out that a journalist from Yediot Acharonot had prepared a lengthy article on the event, but his editor decided not to publish it."

Tzveig said that originally, "Dr. Dan Bahat reported that the Moslem Waqf's excavations on the Temple Mount mainly affected recent layers, but caused only minimal damage to more ancient layers. Although I respect his opinion, he is a lone voice within the country's archaeologist community. Despite this, his view was widely-quoted, and he was given substantial air-time." Tzveig said that his and his colleagues' later examinations of the Kidron Valley dumping site revealed that Bahat had significantly underestimated the damage caused to First and Second Temple-era artifacts. Tzveig presented these findings at an annual convention at Bar-Ilan University three weeks ago, causing "a great uproar in archaeologists' circles, including much anger at the Antiquities Authority. Here, too, an article that was prepared for Yediot was not published... The Authority, for its part, responded harshly for my not having released the details in a more closed forum."

Jan 9, 00

5. COURT FEARS BLOODSHED, REJECTS PETITION
The Supreme court this morning rejected an appeal by the Temple Mount Faithful organization regarding the illegal excavation works by the Moslem Waqf on the Temple Mount. The judges ruled that although the Waqf is indeed transgressing the law, the court will not order the necessary law enforcement agencies to halt the works, since such a move "is liable to disturb the public peace and cause bloodshed," and that such "matters should be dealt with on the governmental level." The justices added a caveat, however: Since the courts are refraining from issuing judgements on issues related to the Temple Mount, it is incumbent on the government to directly address the matter.

jan 11, 00

6. MORE ZO ARTZEINU ACTION
Moshe Feiglin, head of the Zo Artzeinu (This is Our Land) organization, sees no reason to rest. After the group's large rally protesting the Moslem Waqf 's desecration of the Temple Mount, Zo Artzeinu members will gather in Ariel's Eshel Hotel this evening to review plans for their next major effort: a parade of vehicles from Gamla in the Golan Heights, and from other areas of the country, to Jerusalem. Within the capital, marchers will continue in a procession, carrying torches to the Kidron Valley, at which the Waqf dumped over 100 truckloads of the remains of archaeological treasures from under the Temple Mount. Feiglin told Arutz-7 today that the Gamla-Jerusalem procession is being carried out in coordination with the police: "At this point, we don't plan to operate beyond the law. We hope that what will do will have its impact, and we won't have to [take more extreme measures]."

Feiglin explained that the purpose of the nation-wide event "is to connect the struggle for the Golan and Yesha to the struggle for our heart, Jerusalem... The need to stress the Jerusalem issue is related not only to its centrality in Jewish life, but to the extent to which its abandonment is going unnoticed... With Jerusalem, there are no referenda, no Knesset votes, or any major events to raise public awareness. They are simply stealing Jerusalem from right under our noses! Sure, we have heard lofty talk from politicians for years now - you know, 'Jerusalem will forever remain the undivided capital of Israel,' and the like. But we all understand that this rhetoric is a simple con-job," he said.

What are the movement's short and long-term goals? Feiglin: "In the short run, we want to show the government, Israel's decision-makers, that what is going on will not be quietly tolerated. The Jewish people will respond when they understand that Jerusalem is being forfeited, and we have to be the ones to wake them up to what is happening. We must first and foremost look to ourselves to change things! Someone who just sits at home, who does not go and cry out and protest against what is happening, cannot blame anyone later - not Rabin, not Barak, not Bibi - no one... For the long run, we submit that the answer is neither 'right' or 'left,' and we will consolidate ourselves as an alternative national faith movement."

7. POLICE IGNORE CRIMES, ARREST STUDENT
The police raided the apartment of archaeology student Tzachi Tzveig this morning, arrested him, and confiscated ancient artifacts from his home. Tzveig had taken the artifacts from Nachal Kidron, where the Waqf dumped hundreds of truckloads of dirt containing the remains of archaeological treasures from under the Temple Mount. Chai VeKayam leader Yehuda Etzion condemned the police action, saying that its "hypocrisy cries out to the heavens. The police don't lift a finger against the crimes of the Waqf on the Temple Mount, but when a student tries to salvage some of the destruction - obviously not for his personal profit - they take immediate and resolute action."

Jan 17, 00

BARAK PRESERVES MOSLEM STATUS QUO (Aruz 7 29-6-00)
The mystery surrounding a Temple Mount-related meeting in the Prime Minister Barak's office yesterday has been cracked. In a cryptic statement at the close of the meeting, Barak's office declared:

"The Prime Minister has approved the Israel Police and GSS recommendations on what measures are to be taken or avoided regarding the Temple Mount, in line with the principles of maintaining the status-quo and not damaging archaeological artifacts, while recognizing the importance of the site for both Jews and Moslems."

Writing in today's edition of Ha'aretz, journalist Nadav Shragai reports that Barak rejected the advice of both Atty.-Gen. Elyakim Rubenstein and the Antiquities Authority to halt or limit the recently begun Waqf tiling of 200 square meters of the Temple Mount. Barak also decided to forbid actions that would prevent the entry of heavy machinery, trucks and tractors to the Mount. According to Shragai, "he directed the relevant officials to maintain 'reasonable supervision' of the traffic entering and leaving the compound through the Lions' Gate." Barak did, however, instruct that Antiquities Authority archaeologists be allowed into the area to prevent the tiling work from developing "into more extensive construction activity."

Israel television reporter Benny Liss indicated today that a level of coordination exists between the Waqf and Israeli law enforcement authorities regarding the illegal construction. Speaking with Arutz-7, Liss said that three days ago, he hired a helicopter to fly over the Mount in an effort to capture an aerial view of what was actually taking place there. Liss:

"Shortly before the flight, I got a call from the helicopter company saying that the Waqf had learned of the flight, called the police; the police in turn called the air traffic tower in Atarot, which then informed the pilot that he had no permission to fly over the Mount. The Waqf has an interest in ensuring that photos of the area do not reach the public."

TEMPLE MOUNT WALL COLLAPSES (25-09-03)