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The southern wall of the Temple Mount is protruding and may be in danger of collapse. Image courtesy of Holy Land Photos.
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| By Ellis Shuman September 30, 2002 |
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Before departing for Russia on Sunday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reportedly met with Israeli officials to discuss the protruding bulge in the southern wall of the Temple Mount. The urgency of the discussion was due to the fact that hundreds of thousands of Muslim worshippers are expected to visit the Temple Mount next month for the holiday of Ramadan, and the massive crowds may lead to the wall's collapse.
Participating in the meeting were Internal Security Minister Uzi Landau, Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, Jerusalem Police Commissioner Mickey Levy, a representative of the Shin Bet security agency and Shuka Dorfman of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Maariv reported. In August, Olmert called on the government to prevent the "historical and human disaster" that would occur if the southern wall collapsed and Dorfman warned Sharon that such a collapse was a "clear and present danger."
Discussion at the meeting focused on the protruding bulge in the southern wall, which now extends about a meter outwards. Members of the Committee Against the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount, a citizens watchdog committee, say the bulge is the result of illegal construction work on the Temple Mount, especially the development of the underground area known as Solomon's Stables as a mosque.
The Temple Mount is under the authority of the Waqf, the Muslim religious trust. Access to the Temple Mount has been off limits to non-Muslims since the outbreak of Intifada violence in September 2000, following Sharon's controversial visit to the site, revered by Jews as the location of the ancient holy Temples.
The urgency of the discussion was due to the fact that during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan next month, hundreds of thousands of worshippers are expected to visit the Temple Mount on Fridays. When access to the mosques on the Temple Mount is unlimited, as many as 400,000 worshippers attend the prayers. When curfews are imposed and access is limited due to security concerns, 200,000 worshippers could still arrive at the Temple Mount.
Officials in the Ministry of Internal Security are aware of the possible consequences if the southern wall would collapse while the mosques behind it are packed with worshippers. One senior official described the scenario to Maariv as "the Third World War."
In Sunday's discussion, it was clear to all participants that Israel would have to pay the price no matter what happened regarding the southern wall, Maariv reported. "If Israel decides to repair the wall, without the agreement of the Waqf, this will result in riots in Israel and the territories," one official said. "If the wall collapses when worshippers are on the Temple Mount, it will be even worse. We will be held guilty no matter what."
Maariv said that the officials also considered the consequences if Israel limited the number of worshippers praying at the mosques during Ramadan by declaring the Temple Mount in danger of collapse. Additional concern was raised regarding the upcoming winter months, when rain and snow could speed up the wall's collapse.
According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, both Israel and the Waqf agree that the southern wall is in desperate need of repair, but the dispute regarding who is responsible for the wall is delaying its repair.
Maariv's report did not say if Sharon and the other participants in the urgent discussion reached any decision regarding the future of the Temple Mount wall.
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