Jerusalem – Hoping to quell days of Muslim protests, Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish mayor on Monday ordered a review of construction outside a holy site at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict, a spokesman said.
However, the move – meant to prove Israel will not damage Muslim shrines – will not affect preparatory excavations that began last week and have infuriated people across the Muslim world.
The dispute centers on a new walkway Israel is building to the compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The walkway is meant to replace an earthen ramp that partially collapsed in a snowstorm three years ago.
Israeli archaeologists began an exploratory dig in the area last week to ensure no historical remains are destroyed during the construction. That work sparked fierce protests from Muslims, who accused Israel of plotting to damage the golden- capped Dome of the Rock shrine and the Al Aqsa Mosque in the same compound.
Israel denies the charge, noting the work is about 60 yards from the compound.
Small clashes persisted Monday, with incidents in which Palestinians threw stones at Israeli police in the city’s Arab neighborhoods.
In an effort to defuse the tensions, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski, who has direct responsibility for the work, decided the construction plan should be sent for a new review that will allow for public objections, spokesman Gidi Schmerling said.
Israel captured east Jerusalem, where the disputed hilltop and other religious sites are located, in the 1967 Mideast war and considers the entire city its undivided capital. The Palestinians hope to make east Jerusalem the capital of a future independent state.
