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Antiquities Chief Resigns
Amir Drori, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority, has resigned.
According to an Israel Radio report, Drori felt that after more than
a decade at the helm it was time for new blood at the Authority. During
his tenure, Drori came under attack from ultra-Orthodox Jews, who felt
that archaeologists violated the sanctity of ancient graves in carrying
out excavations. More recently, many archaeologists and leading cultural
figures in Israel criticized Drori for not doing enough to stop the
construction on the Temple Mount being carried out by the Waqf, the
Muslim religious trust. The work is believed to be responsible for widespread
destruction of antiquities. Drori has agreed to stay on until a replacement
is found.
(from The Washington Post, Opinion Columns, July
17, 2000)
Protect the Temple Mount
by Hershel Shanks
The world's patrimony is being carried off in dump trucks.
All who care about the archaeological
remains on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where Solomon's temple once
stood and later Herod's temple, should be incensed at Israel's failure
to stop the Waqf, the Muslim religious trust that controls the site,
from illegally destroying precious remnants of history important to
Muslims as well as to Jews and Christians.
The Waqf has been destroying our history
for nearly three decades without interference from Israeli authorities,
despite the country's strict antiquities laws. In late 1999 in the guise
of building an emergency exit from the underground area known as Solomon's
Stables (which has been converted into a mosque), the Waqf began removing
hundreds of truckloads of archaeologically rich material and dumped
it in the Kidron valley. Ultimately, it removed more than 6,000 tons
of earth, allowing the creation of what the police commander of the
Jerusalem District called a "monumental entry gate" 200 feet long and
75 feet wide.
More recently, Waqf trucks once again
have been observed entering and leaving the Temple Mount, carrying building
materials on and moving earth off. Stacks of paving stones, scaffolding,
wood and iron materials near the Golden Gate, as well as two small construction
sheds, give credence to the report in the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz
that the Waqf is planning to erect a fourth mosque on the Temple Mount.
An open letter in June, signed by former
and current Jerusalem mayors Teddy Kollek and Ehud Olmert, 82 members
of parliament across the political spectrum, Amos Oz and other well-known
writers, former army chiefs of staff, presidents of Israel's universities,
professors of archaeology and members of Israel's law faculties, called
the work of the Waqf "a serious act of irreparable archaeological vandalism
and destruction."
Barak finally addressed the issue recently,
declaring that he remained committed to preserving the status quo."
The Jerusalem Post called the statement "Orwellian." There is no doubt
that the work is illegal. No construction is permitted in areas with
archaeological remains without permission from the Israel Antiquities
Authority. Even with a permit the work must be done, under archaeological
supervision.
As early as the 1970s the Waqf used a
bulldozer to dig an illegal trench for utility lines that uncovered
an ancient wall six feet wide and 16 feet long. The wall was removed
before archaeologists could record and study it.
A 1983 editorial in Biblical Archaeology
Review decried the Waqf's destruction of evidence that supported
the views of a Hebrew University professor as to the precise location
of the ancient Israelite temple. We wrote, "It seems obvious that no
excavations for any purpose should be permitted on the Temple Mount
except by qualified professional archaeologists. After the archaeologists
finish their work, the excavated area can be used for non-archeologic
purposes if no ancient remains are found."
In 1986 a suit was brought against the
government and the Waqf seeking an injunction against further destruction
of archaeological remains. The Waqf ignored the suit, because in its
view any response might be a recognition of Israeli sovereignty. The
government, however, opposed the suit.
Nevertheless, the then-district archaeologist
for Jerusalem filed an affidavit stating that the Waqf systematically
had destroyed, damaged or covered up archaeological remains. Israel's
Supreme Court did not hand down its decision until 1993; it found that
the Waqf had violated the country's antiquities laws; many of the 35
violations involved irreversible destruction of important archaeological
remains. Even after the suit had been filed, the Waqf continued illegal
construction, the court found. The Waqf ignored Antiquity Authority
officials who instructed it not to build over or cover archeological
remains or archeologically significant areas. The court nevertheless
denied an injunction, expressing confidence that Israeli authorities
would in the future correct their past errors.
The Temple Mount is the patrimony of
the world. Israel is responsible for ensuring the preservation of archaeological
remains on the Temple Mount. It has been suggested that Barak's reluctance
to act stems from fears that it would adversely affect the peace process
or might lead to violence. But the rule seems to be that during the
negotiation process, neither side is to change the status quo. It is
the Waqf that is changing the situation. And if Israel cannot prevent
destruction of archaeological remains on the Temple Mount without Arab
violence, perhaps Israel should know that now. On the other hand, the
anticipation of violence may well show disrespect for the good common
sense of the Arab world.
(from The Washington Post, Letters to the Editor,
July 27, 2000)
Work at the Temple Mount
Hershel Shanks's July 18 op-ed column, "Protect the Temple Mount,"
grossly misrepresented the activities of the Muslim Waqf on the Haram
al Sharif.
Muslim officials have been responsible
for the maintenance of Muslim religious sites in Jerusalem since the
seventh century.
The Waqf's work on the Haram al Sharif
is being done in anticipation of the thousands of Muslim pilgrims who
will be able to visit the Haram after Palestinian-Israeli peace.
As there is little room on the Haram,
the Waqf decided to restore and rehabilitate the al-Marwani prayer room
below, a site that first provided Muslims sanctuary in the eighth century.
In order to rehabilitate the al-Marwani,
we carefully have removed dirt from the entrance. This has been done
under the supervision of Palestinian archaeologists including the chairman
of the department of Islamic architecture at Al-Quds University and
the chairman of the department of antiquities at the Waqf.
They have examined samples of the excavated
dirt and found no structures, artifacts or archaeological remains from
any era.
The Haran is a living place of worship
for Muslims. Mr. Shanks's accusation that we are damaging this holy
site is ludicrous. By contrast, since occupying the old City in 1967,
Israeli authorities have taken numerous unilateral actions in disregard
of Muslim sensibilities (such as destroying the 12th century Maghrebi
Quarter to make the "Western Wall Plaza," and using bulldozers to excavate
the Ummayed Palaces adjacent to the Haram).
Mr. Shanks's unfounded accusations, combined
with Israel's record of heavy-handed unilateralism in Jerusalem, demonstrate
why Palestinian negotiators have insisted that Israel end its occupation
of this sacred city.
Adnan Husseini
Director
Muslim Waqf
Jerusalem
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