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A picture of the wooden, temporary bridge connecting the Western Wall Plaza to the Mugrabi Gate
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| By Israel Insider staff October 14, 2007 |
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The ministerial committee has agreed to postpone the resumption of the excavations at the Mugrabi Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, which was expected to begin in the coming days after gaining the committee's approval two weeks ago, Haaretz reported.
However after Sports, Science and Culture Minister Ghaleb Majadele appealed to the committee vote, requesting that the issue be presented to the cabinet plenum, the decision was passed to wait until Sunday.
The construction was halted in June following protests by the Palestinian Authority and Arab countries over the bridge-in-progress, which extends between the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, providing a path to the Mugrabi Gate. The plans' opponents cite concerns that construction will damage antiquities and offset the status quo -- a move that could provoke significant repercussions.
The Arab-Israeli minister warned that renewed construction could ignite tension between Israel and its Arab neighbors that would be detrimental to the success of the upcoming Mideast summit in Maryland.
The bridge would not only facilitate tourism to two of the holiest sites in Israel, but it would also provide easy access for security personnel to the Temple Mount, which has been the site of numerous eruptions of violence and aggression following the Al-Aqsa mosque's Friday services.
According to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's bureau, the prime minister condoned the renewal of the bridge's construction, saying that the government ceased building due to planning problems, not political considerations.
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