Posted on 08/27/2002 9:01:23 AM PDT by liberallarry
Adnan Husseini, director of the Muslim trust which supervises the Temple Mount mosque complex, said Tuesday that a bulge in the Western Wall has not grown or shifted for about 30 years and that it is no danger of collapsing.
"This bulge is under our monitoring since the 70s," he said. "It is stable, we don't feel that there is any dangerous situation."
Husseini's remarks came in response to an urgent letter sent Monday by a citizens' watchdog group to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, warning of "a clear and present danger that the southern part of the Western Wall and the Temple Mount might collapse" as a result of the Waqf's construction.
In the letter, the group - known as the Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Antiquities - urged Sharon "to take immediate action to deal with the problem before a disaster occurs."
Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert Tuesday morning called on the government to take immediate action to prevent the "historical and human disaster" that will happen if the southern portion of the Western Wall collapses.
"In my opinion we have reached the moment of truth," Olmert told Israel Radio. "The government of Israel has no alternative but to decide to exercise our natural authority in regard to the Temple Mount."
"We made all kinds of efforts to reach understandings (on the issue), which I cannot fully reveal here because of their sensitive nature both here in Israel and abroad, to pinpoint the reasons (for the movement of the wall) so we can properly address the matter," Olmert added.
Archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar, who is a member of the Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Antiquities, told Israel Radio Tuesday morning that "to date no steps have been taken in the matter, which means that nothing can be done to correct the situation." She said the question now is "whether the wall will collapse on thousands of worshippers or if it will happen in a controlled manner."
The movement of the southern part of the Western Wall has been going on for several years, but it peaked during the past year, in the area of the wall that also serves as one of the walls for Solomon's Stables. The Waqf transformed the Stables, the main core of their building, into a mosque which can hold 10,000 worshipers.
The Waqf, the Antiquities Authority, the Israeli government and the Jordanian government were all actively engaged in the southern wall issue, and in an attempt to address the problem, scaffolding was built on the side of the expansion. Secret talks were also held between the Antiquities Authority, the Jordanians and Muslim religious leaders.
Among the signatories to the letter to the prime minister were archeologists Dr. Gabi Barkai and Eilat Mazar; Yaakov Yaniv, a former section chief in the Shin Bet and Dr. Orit Zur. In the letter, they told the prime minister that "The expansion of the southern wall has recently increased and the situation has become irreversible over the past six months."
"We are warning you and making you aware that the wall in the area will soon collapse," the letter said. "The danger of a collapse is close and real."
...And when the Wall collapses?
Why, they can blame it on the Israelis of course. And then use it as a pretext to start a new and bigger wave of attacks -- and maybe even to launch the Pali War of Independence.
"The movement of the southern part of the Western Wall..." is what the article says. Are you sure they're wrong? Please cite a source.
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