The Antiquities Authority is considering evacuating archeological remains from the Temple Mount that have displaced rioters.
The stones and remains were thrown at riots by Muslims at the site and some were used to block the passage of Jews.
In recent letters sent by Adv. Aviad Wissoli to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Education Minister Yifat Shasha Bitton and Homeland Security Minister Amar Bar-Lev, it was claimed that the destruction of the antiquities on the mountain is reminiscent of the destruction inflicted on ISIS members during the Syrian civil war. The name of the destruction was carried out when no country controlled the antiquities sites.
In letters whose contents reached Israel Today, there was also a demand for immediate treatment of the most severe and unprecedented destruction of antiquities on the Temple Mount, which was discovered after several days of Muslim riots in the holy compound.
"The spectacle, which was revealed to our people after the riots on the Temple Mount on Fridays and Saturdays, April 16-15, 2022, is appalling.
Destruction reminiscent of the destruction ISIS inflicted on Tadmor in Syria, Photo: Shalev Shalom / TPS
"Hundreds of antiquities were thrown along the eastern path of the Temple Mount east of the Dome of the Rock. The goal was to block the path from religious Jews ascending the Temple Mount and using it during the Dome of the Rock dome."
Loss of values
The letter further claims that "the deliberate destruction of antiquities on the Temple Mount is a horrific and unprecedented phenomenon in the history of the State of Israel, which must be condemned everywhere and prevented at all costs.
"The Temple Mount is the most sacred place for the Jewish people on earth and also sacred to other religions. It is inconceivable that in a state of law, easy and material in the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, the authorities will allow such destruction. It is a loss of cultural, religious, security and sovereign values." .
In the letters, Wissoli claimed that "one of the main causes of the shocking destruction of antiquities on the Temple Mount is the lack of presence and control of the State of Israel on the Temple Mount 24 hours a day. "And both for the preservation of its cultural, historical and ancient values."
Palestinians confront security forces.
Stones uprooted, Photo: AFP
The compound will be inspected soon
Dr. Amit Ram, an archaeologist from the Jerusalem area at the Israel Antiquities Authority, sent a reply letter claiming that the matter had been referred to the authority. The letter emphasized that most of the stones photographed were modern, and only a few were archeological remains.
Dr. Ram also noted that a full assessment of the damage to the Temple Mount could only be made after the month of Ramadan and at the end of the riots. It was further noted that the authority continues to monitor what is happening at the site.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the Israel Antiquities Authority confirmed to "Israel Today" that these were stones taken from a grove near the Gate of Mercy, including archeological items.
According to the senior official, there is cooperation between the officials of the Antiquities Authority and the members of the Muslim Waqf.
However, the possibility of removing the stones from the Temple Mount is being considered to prevent the recurrence of similar cases in the future.
Difficult sights on the Temple Mount, Photo: Shalev Shalom / TPS
In response to the photos of the destruction, Bydino CEO Tom Nissani says that the use of antiquities on the Temple Mount to throw them at security forces or place them as barriers for Jewish immigrants to the mountain is a use that the Antiquities Authority should stop immediately.
In addition, Nissani emphasizes that "the stones and items used by the rioters on the Temple Mount are antiquities, which should not be thrown away from place to place according to their whims. The Antiquities Authority must take care of preserving the items from the Temple Mount. Prevent them from moving the antiquities or throwing them away and damaging them. "
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