Israel cancels UNESCO tour of Jerusalem holy site

JERUSALEM: Israel has cancelled a visit by a UN body to a disputed Jerusalem holy site, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday. The site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the location of the biblical Jewish Temples. The Al Aqsa Mosque compound is built over the ruins and marks the place where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

Israel invited a team from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to tour the site, amid claims by Israeli archeologists that unsupervised construction work is taking place within the complex, possibly harming ancient Jewish artifacts.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yaffa Ben-Ari said on Friday that the visit had been "postponed to a future unspecified date," but declined to comment on the reason for the cancellation.

Israel captured the area during the 1967 Mideast War, but left daily running of the holy site to Islamic authorities. In peace negotiations, both Israel and the Palestinians demanded sovereignty over the site. The talks stalled over that and other issues.

The compound has been closed to Jews and tourists since Palestinian riots erupted following a visit by Ariel Sharon, now Israel's prime minister, on September 28. More than 470 people, most of them Palestinians, have been killed since the violence began. (27-04-01)