Translated from Hebrew:

I. The continuation of the works and the activities on Temple Mount

1. The works continue on Temple Mount by the Muslim Waqf and the Israeli Muslim movement without any overseeing and control of the Antiquities Authority, and at times without even the knowledge of the State authorities, including the Police, as described further on.

2. The goal of the works is to turn the entire area of the Temple Mount into one giant mosque, and into an exclusively Muslim area, be erasing and destroying every archeological remnant and finding that may testify to any spark and connection of the Jewish nation to the place, and the changing of the status quo of the place by turning all the areas of the mount to holy places, mosques and prayer areas, with the intention of preventing any Jewish presence whatsoever in that place in the future (and there also exist therein unchangeable facts that pertain to state security and other matters).

3. In the past few weeks, activities have continued in various areas:

A. Extensive work continues on activities of a particular framework, “to clean ten water holes” that are in an area of high underground spaces, among others, with the purpose being [to bring] water from holy rivers in Mecca to the cisterns of Temple Mount, and to strengthen the holiness of the mount to the Muslims.

B. Underground work continues in the passage of the western part of Shaar Chulda that became the ancient mosque Al-Aqsa.

C. The introduction of construction material to Temple Mount continues.

D. Tractor work at the location continues.

E. The Waqf succeeds in smuggling material from Temple Mount without any supervision.

F. Once again, large stones were brought to the area of a huge stone cutter, which is possibly activated despite Police reports that it is not active.

G. A very dangerous buckling continues to increase in the southern wall of Temple Mount and might cause its collapse if left without any overseeing or attention of government officials. This is a condition that might result in a grave tragedy of very serious consequences.

II. The activities of the Israeli government and the controlling authority

4. In spite of all of our attempts and efforts to turn the attention of the authorities to the work being done, the serious actions continue to disturb the antiquities, without any supervision and without any permission from the Israeli government, which shuts its eyes and refuses to see what is being done and refuses to stop it.

5. The government of Israel and its ruling arms continue to close their eyes and to sit with nearly no action toward changing the situation, which continues and is occurring on the Temple Mount.

A. The Israeli government is prevented from completely stopping the ongoing works on Temple Mount.

B. The Prime Minister of Israel, Hon. Arik Sharon, after supporting our work and our requests with a sharp understanding the year before he was elected, when he was in the opposition, does not respond to our many letters and is not prepared to meet with us and to see the hard evidence in our hands.

C. The Attorney General refuses to meet with us just as his predecessor refused, despite the serious breeches of the law and the difficult occurrences that are taking place on Temple Mount under the supervision of the Police and the rulers of the land.

D. The Israeli Police continues to shut its eyes in order not to see what is happening on Temple Mount, to report to the public reports that are not correct or relevant and political causes as to what transpires, and has refused to meet with us for close to one year to accept from us all the information on what is happening on Temple Mount.

E. The Minister of Internal Security, in spite of obvious evidence that we presented regarding the serious defective functioning of the Police, and in spite of clear proof that their reports were incorrect, is not prepared to admit this in public and does not succeed in changing the way they work or the reliability of their reports. He does not even convince them to meet with us and hear our complaints, and won’t send their high officials to accompany him in meetings with us, as should be done.

F. The legal advisor of the government is prevented in principle from checking and investigating our complaints regarding the breaking of the law that is taking place in that location. He is satisfied with the denials of the Police without any further investigation. As a result, for 15 months the formalizing of procedure obligating examinations and certifications in regard to inquiries as to what is taking place, and leaning toward the maintenance of the status quo on Temple Mount, has been prevented.

G. The Antiquities Authority is prevented from going up to Temple Mount in light of the agreement of the Prime Minister that the Waqf will be the practical ruler there and will decide who is permitted entry and who forbidden. This is even though the Authority admits that the situation on the mount is serious and there is a disturbance of the antiquities, yet they are not fighting publically against the order to keep away from Temple Mount for these 15 months, nor against the serious disturbances of the antiquities that happens without end on Temple Mount from that time. Nor do they initiate the publication of these matters to bring them to wider public knowledge.

H. The Municipality of Jerusalem does not act in any way to stop the violations and the works on Temple Mount, and does not make use of its means and abilities, even though she too observes as if paralyzed what is transpiring on Temple Mount.

I. The government of Israel continues to prevent the gathering of artifacts connected to Temple Mount, in order to take away the ability to examine the situation objectively and to report the truth to the public in this land and in the entire world regarding the magnitude of the many faults of the government and the inaction of her hands against these serious matters that continue on Temple Mount without investigation and control by those in power, and at their head, the Police of that location.

6. that is attached details greatly the above mentioned points of section 3 about the continuing works on Temple Mount and the points that are mentioned in section 5 about the activities of the government of Israel and the ruling authority.

7. The tremendous living spirit behind all the activities in the past few years is Sheikh Rayadh Salah, the head of the Israeli Muslim movement and an Israeli citizen. Despite his tremendous involvement in the severe transgressions of the laws of the State of Israel and the destruction of antiquities in great measure and without precedence in Israel by not observing the laws of the land, there is no ruling authority that examines the legality of his deeds and the possibility to stop them by legal means.

8. Sheikh Salah stands behind the current ambitious project that has been going on over the past few months “to clean” and renovate 37 empty underground spaces, part of which includes high halls, each encompassing 100 square meters, with heights of more than ten meters, by drafting funding and donations from throughout the Arab world to make his grand plan come to fruition.

9. One of the intentions is to bring to these empty spaces water from the holy Zamzam River in Mecca, thereby increasing the holiness of Temple Mount in the eyes of the Muslims and increasing its importance as a special central area for prayer in the eyes of the entire Muslim world. It is possible that the plans intend to prepare a part of the empty space as mosques and additional prayer areas, thus adding and widening the Muslim control over additional areas of Temple Mount.

10. This should not be possible and cannot be taken lightly, because the Muslim movement was successful in the past few years to change in a real way the face of Temple Mount to severely affect the status quo, to erect two new large mosques in the underground spaces of the mount, and to pave thousands of meters by heavily violating the antiquities. So came to fruition “an archeological crime,” as expressed in the past by the previous director of the Antiquities Authority. In addition, it is “a kick in Jewish history,” as per the government’s legal advisor.

11. All the underground spaces of Temple Mount are ancient, some possibly Canaanite, others from the period of the first Temple, from the days of the Hasmoneans and Hordes, others served as ancient gates to Temple Mount, and others as purifying baths, or a source to priests who became impure, and other similar functions. These underground spaces present a most important archeological connection to knowledge of Temple Mount and to the research of its origins. It is impossible to imagine that any kind of work in the cisterns should be done without archeological supervision.

12. We sharply protest the continuation of the robbing of freedom of the press and the right of the public to know about Temple Mount, a place given to the authority of the State of Israel, which could, if only it would want to, open it to free examination by the national and international media. It is our obligation as a free and open democratic country that is proud of its freedom of the press as is accepted throughout the Western world.

13. The use of reasons of security to justify the continued concealment of the actions on Temple Mount from public knowledge puts to ill use the power of authority, and puts to bad use the unfounded claims of security. The sole aim is to hide from the public the terrible destruction and the dramatic changes taking place, which change the character gradually yet entirely to an exclusively Muslim territory, as well as the failure on the part of the government to keep and supervise the antiquities and archeological treasures that exist on the Temple Mount and are destroyed as a matter of policy by the people of the Waqf in the course of their work.

14. In the process of the work of this Committee over the past two years, the Committee raised many serious complaints against the carrying out of these works and the destruction that accompanies them. Many were denied at first, some by the Police and others by the previous and current government. The complaints were against the large scope of the works and the resulting extensive destruction of the antiquities, as well as the violations of the permits and the extreme digression from them, the existence of the huge stone cutter which cuts ancient stones, the digging on the high levels of the Temple Mount (on which the Temple is estimated to have been), and many other matters.

15. As many long months passed, our complaints proved correct and the Police and government were forced to admit so, contrary to their original denials. In the past while (at times almost a year), until our demands were met, such as the stopping of the paving or the activation of the stone cutter, many violations and most serious irreversible damage !!! to the antiquities and many great and significant changes were made to the current condition of the Temple Mount on its way to become one huge mosque and an exclusively Muslim site.

16. In this period, a building and ancient remnants were destroyed before the eyes of the Police, who did not intercede at all, approximately 6,000 square meters were paved, damaging the floor and the antiquities of the area, and approximately 15,000 tons of earth were dug and removed from the Temple Mount without any examination!! saturated with archeological findings and large numbers of antiquities and stones were cut.

17. There is an obligation to learn from this lessons and to stop immediately!! the activities that go on today on the mount and continue causing destruction and damage, as this letter details, even though the Police continue, until today, to deny all the complaints of this Committee. The Police cannot even wait a few more months until they will be forced to admit the truth of our complaints, and will thus try to close the stable gates after the horses already escaped.

18. Also, regarding important matters we have raised before, the current government did decide to strengthen our demands to stop certain projects and prevent their being carried out, such as stopping the paving and preventing the introduction of construction equipment necessary to continue the work. We have praised the government for these actions. This despite the Police and the ministers in previous governments having told us that this will lead to bloodshed and riots on Temple Mount. It was proven a few months ago that this could be accomplished, even with ease, thus it becomes clear that all the terrible predictions of the Police did not transpire.

19. In a petition on this matter to the Supreme Court in March of 2001, we presented the opinions of four premier security experts, among them a former Minister of Internal Security and two former senior officials of the G.S.S., as well as a previous advisor on terrorism to two prime ministers. All testified that it is possible to stop the work of the Waqf and the Muslim movement. We heard this from senior personnel in the current security network, who made clear that the Police bring forth threats on the national level in its claims that it is not possible to stop the works of the Waqf, and who stressed the need to rely not only on the assessment of the Police in this important and sensitive matter.

20. We are establishing firmly that in the area of the mount, works proceed in a large scope and grave violations of the antiquities continue. The director of the Antiquities Authority confirmed these words and expressed his concern regarding all that is transpiring in this place in his meeting with the members of this Committee and the Education Minister on 22 August, 2001.

21. It pains us that the Antiquities Authority does not find it proper to alarm the public and to inform them about what is happening by turning to the media and establishing a wide media campaign, something we hold as its obligation as the ruling authority in charge of keeping the archeological treasures of this country. Especially when the concern is in regard to such a severe violation of the most important archeological site in the country.

22. The government must understand that the presence of tractors, of a huge, industrial stone cutter that saws large, ancient stones, and of construction equipment on the Temple Mount is a ticking bomb from an archeological, scientific and national perspective. In light of the grave damage that already was instigated, they must be removed from the Temple Mount forever and their return be prevented in the future.

23. It is not clear to us why you and your government, as the previous government, are insistent on the one hand not to let go of Temple Mount (even at the expense of the peace talks) and bring up the cultural, national and historical flags of the importance of Temple Mount, and on the other hand allow the destruction of treasures of archeology and culture, of which there is no way to assess their worth, as well as all that is hidden in its earth, in its empty underground spaces, and between its built remnants. It is as though we were talking about a place with nothing in it and in which anyone who wants to can do anything at all.

24. There is a huge and incomprehensible discrepancy between the announcements and the words of the Ministers, and the Prime Minister at their head, on the importance of the place and the obligation to keep it and prevent any damage to it, and between the disregard, irresponsibility, weak hands and lack of interest and empathy that your government demonstrates toward what is really happening on Temple Mount. This leaves the impression that all this is lip service with no real meaning.

25. We are calling upon you to act immediately to stop the violation and destruction of the antiquities on Temple Mount:

A. To stop immediately all the construction, digging, stone cutting, and the work on the underground spaces, including “the cleaning” of the water cisterns that the Muslim Waqf and the Israeli Muslim movement are carrying out, and to prevent every violation and destruction of antiquities on Temple Mount.

B. To prevent the introduction of construction equipment and material, including tractors, trucks and heavy machinery, as well as spare parts and fuel for the equipment.

C. To immediately remove the tractors, the huge stone cutters, the large amount of construction material in the area of the mount, and all the other equipment and material related to the work.

D. To prevent the removal of stones, amounts of earth and refuse without full supervision by the Antiquities Authority.

E. To carry out zealous inspections of all those entering and leaving the mount, including all vehicles, to prevent the smuggling of antiquities outside the area.

F. To return immediately the inspectors of the Antiquities Authority for supervision on the Temple Mount and to position there a permanent inspector with full authority, as is accepted and established by law for every other place in the country.

G. To expand significantly the power of the Police on Temple Mount to alter its composition (today, only a small amount of it is composed of Jews), such so that it should not be vulnerable to pressure, threats and the necessity to work against one’s nation, and to strengthen the supervision and the patrols of the Police on the mount in every place and at all times.

H. To establish quickly and within a short time an administrator responsible for the examinations and permits for every intention of conducting work on Temple Mount, or in unusual circumstances and in the framework of maintaining the status quo, as well as to prevent all work not permitted through this administrator, until such permit is finalized.

I. To investigate and tighten the law with everyone involved in the destruction of the antiquities and in the carrying out of these transgressions and violations of the law which occur throughout the works on Temple Mount.

J. To direct the Police to meet the members of this Committee in a flowing manner, to accept the findings and the knowledge in our hands, and to respond to our complaints.

K. To open the Temple Mount to a full, free and regular examination by the national and international media, as is accepted everywhere democratic and cultured in the free world.

L. To allow the members of the Committee to visit Temple Mount and to see in details the conditions of the place.

M. To meet the members of the Committee right away to get a clear, firsthand picture as to what is happening on Temple Mount, in order to receive information that to our sorrow and to the best of our knowledge does not come to you and to the relevant Ministers.

26. We have no doubt that in case the irresponsibilities continue and the failures and lack of action regarding the severe changes that are occurring on Temple Mount, the future generations will not understand how, while we still ruled there, we sat with arms crossed when permission was given and the coverup of this grave transgression and destruction of the antiquities came about. They will not be able to understand the weak hand, the inability to see the consequences and the lack of realization of the meaning of these matters that accompany the dramatic changes occurring today by the most severe violation and destruction of the antiquities.

27. We express our protest on that the Prime Minister did not respond, not even in a word, to our many letters to him (this is our sixth letter from the time you became Prime Minister). We received a response to only one letter. Also, our most recent letter, which was very long and detailed, dated 27 August, 2001, did not merit a reaction or consideration whatsoever, from either yourself or any other official in your office. In addition, no official agreed to meet with us or even talk on the telephone. Nor did we receive any answer to our many phone calls, although the eight Ministers with whom we met on this subject have all said that this matter is to your attention and your decision alone.

28. No nation in the world would agree that this is how they should destroy and lose the most important remnants of their past. No other enlightened, cultured country would allow anything whatsoever to cause, in an area given over to its future, barbaric vandalism such as is occurring on Temple Mount. No person can remain with at ease and make peace with the irreversible destruction of the antiquities and the violation of the law that occur in a site full of cultural, historic, archeological and universal religious legacy.

29. History will not forgive us if we will not stop, even belatedly, the grave crimes occurring on Temple Mount with a goal to wipe out every vestige and testimony to the existence of Jewish history and archeology in that place.

We are calling on you to rise up and take action to stop immediately and decisively the continuation of the destruction on the Temple Mount, as you promised and obligated yourself before you entered office.

With all respect,

Miriam Ben-Porat Moshe Landoi Meir Shamgar

A.B. Yehoshua Yzhar Smilanski Amos Oz

Michael Gal Dr. Zvi Zameret Prof. Avi Revitski

Prof. Avraham Biran Prof. Moshe Kochavi Prof. Ehud Nezer

Yzchak Hofi Shlomo Lahat Dan Shomron

Dr. Gabriel Barkay Yaakov Niv Israel Caspi

Dr. Eilat Mazar Dr. Orit Zur Prof. Amos Kluner

Enclosure: Attached is a detail of the works on the Temple Mount and the activities of the government, prepared by the current staff of the Committee.

cc: President of Israel, Hon. Moshe Katsav