The Arab Waqf on the Temple Mount, which is controlled by the "Palestinian" Authority of the terrorist Arafat of the PLO, continue their vandalism, destruction and diggings on the Temple Mount. Their purpose is to destroy all the remains and evidence of the Temple on the Temple Mount and so to attempt to deny its existence. At this time they are undertaking an intensive work of destruction on the eastern side of the Temple Mount. Members of the Temple Mount Faithful Movement have seen heavy equipment and tractors working and wreaking terrible damage to very unique remains from the Temple which can never be redressed.
Officials of the Israeli Antiquities Authority stated that the diggings on the Temple Mount, especially over the last few years, have caused more damage than any other act of destruction since the destruction of the Second Temple.
It is a tragedy that the weakness of the Israeli Government and the Israeli legal authorities do not immediately stop this terrible destruction of the most holy place of the Jewish People and all the world. It is not only an anti-Israeli crime but it is also an international crime against all mankind. It is a terrible crime against G-d for which not only the Arab perpetrators will soon be judged by G-d but also those who had the authority and the sovereignty to stop them and arrest them and did not do so and preferred to remain silent. Where is the UN which is so often and so quickly makes anti-Israeli resolutions and now, when the most holy treasure of all the world is being destroyed at the hands of these vandals, they remain silent? Where is President Clinton, who is constantly putting pressure on the government of Israel and now does not react and put pressure on these vandals to stop their barbaric destruction? Where is the European Union and all the other hypocrites all over the world who prefer to protect their oil and other materialistic interests above the real interest to be with G-d and to protect His holy house and mountain from this Arab Islamic vandalism?
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement continues their intensive campaign and demonstrations to immediately stop these barbaric activities. This campaign is directed to the Israeli Government and the legal authorities and everyone in the world who should be stopping this destruction. Besides demonstrations, we have made a number of petitions to the Supreme Court of Israel and the most recent of these is, we hope, soon going to be considered after a number of delays which we cannot understand. As we asked in our petition, we hope that the matter will be considered by a full bench of 13 judges because of the seriousness of the case. At the same time, the Temple Mount Faithful Movement is making an urgent petition against these specific diggings and destruction on the eastern side of the Temple Mount.
The continuing campaign of the Temple Mount Faithful against this barbaric destruction awoke 82 members of the Israeli Knesset and many public figures from both the left and right of the political spectrum who wrote an urgent letter to Prime Minister Barak to prevent the continuation of this barbaric destruction. Amongst these public figures were the current mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert, and the former mayor, Teddy Kollek. This act expressed the broken hearts of the Israeli nation because of this destruction and that they can no longer remain silent in the face of this new terrible destruction taking place. They can no longer accept the weakness of the Israeli Government and the legal authorities and the fact that they ignore the situation and do nothing about it. In their open letter of 8th June, they wrote:
To Prime Minister Ehud BarakCall For The Prevention Of The Continuation Of The Destruction Of Antiquities On The Temple Mount In Jerusalem.
Serious acts of vandalism and the irreparable destruction of antiquities is taking place in the Temple Mount Compound, one of the most important archeological sites in Israel and the world. This is taking place in gross violation of the Antiquities Law while the Antiquities Authority is prevented from acting.
In the last year, and in particular in recent months, massive destruction of antiquities has taken place within the Temple Mount Compound. Within the framework of the construction of a new mosque in Solomon's Stables, large scale excavation took place and a huge pit was dug by tractors. Thousands of tons of dirt laden with a large number of archeological findings dating from the First Temple Period and onwards was dumped in the municipal dump and other locations.
This archaeological crime is unacceptable to any cultured person, without any connection to political identity or ideological stand and we object to it just as it is inconceivable that a similar systematic destruction would take place in a site of similar importance elsewhere in the world such as the Acropolis in Athens or the Forum in Rome.
We call on the Government of Israel to urgently act to strictly enforce the Antiquities Law in the Temple Mount Compound and to make all excavation and construction activity subject to the on-site supervision of the Antiquities Authority including the carrying out of recovery digs, inspection and recording of all findings as required in every other site in the State of Israel.
The Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount 052-288442
Signed by 82 MKs and others.
(Courtesy of IMRA)
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement will intensively continue her public campaign to stop this barbaric destruction and desecration and the taking of holy earth from the Temple Mount and throwing it in the Kidron Valley and in a garbage tip close to Jerusalem and to save the last remains of the holy temple which are so dear and holy to everyone in Israel and all over the world. We call on everyone in the world to be a part of this campaign and to come before G-d with clean hands, to send letters to their governments and to the Israeli Government, and to hold demonstrations and to no longer be silent. This terrible event is a test for all of us and we must face it if we want to be faithful to G-d and to our human principles.