Congressman Threatens to Cut PA Funding
A U.S. Congressman is calling on Washington to cut aid to Yasser Arafat if his Palestinian Authority does not stop construction work at one of the world's most volatile holy sites.
Updated Jul 19, 2001
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - A U.S. Congressman is calling on Washington to cut aid to Yasser Arafat if his Palestinian Authority does not stop construction work at one of the world's most volatile holy sites.
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) described the alleged Palestinian activity at the Temple Mount as "Talibanism," a reference to the repressive and authoritarian regime in Afghanistan that recently destroyed two ancient statues of Budda because it considered them idols.
Known to Muslims as the Haram al-Shariff, the Temple Mount is under the sovereignty of Israel, but Israel allows a PA-controlled religious authority, the Wakf, to administer the site.
The issue of permanent sovereignty over the area was one of the key issues that brought about the collapse of Israeli-PA peace talks last year.
Revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims, the plateau is the site of two consecutive Jewish temples, and it was visited by Jesus. Two important Islamic shrines now sit atop those remains.
Cantor is due to present a measure Thursday calling for U.S. taxpayers to stop sending aid to the PA until "unauthorized excavations from the Temple Mount come to an end," a release from his office said.
He compared the PA excavations and the removal of ancient artifacts from the area under the Temple Mount to the recent destruction of Buddhist relics in Afghanistan by the ruling Islamic militia, the Taliban.
A spokesperson for Cantor said the congressman hoped to gain wide bipartisan support for his bill. He is aiming "to ensure that important sites in the Holy Land remain open and remain preserved in good condition with equal access for all people."
Nearly two years ago, it became apparent that the Wakf authorities had extended a small, Israel-approved project to open an emergency exit in an underground mosque into a full-blown expansion of the mosque itself.
Hundreds of tons of dirt were removed without examination, destroying thousands of years of Jewish, Christian and Muslim artifacts.
Although that work was reportedly stopped, it became apparent from the amount of debris being removed from the site that some kind of work continues.
Efforts to examine the site by the Israel Antiquities Authority were hampered by political concerns at the time and later hindered by the current crisis. No journalists or non-Muslims have been allowed on the Mount the last 10 months.
However, the Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount, an ad-hoc grouping of more than 30 leading archaeologists, authors, and public figures, monitors the situation there from the air and by other means.
The committee has extensive evidence, including photographic evidence that demonstrates that carnage is continuing.
Committee members Israel Caspi said that during the last two weeks alone, there were four main indications that work was indeed continuing.
From the air, the committee took photos of a tractor and two other large pieces of machinery at work; a giant stone cutter has been carving huge stones into pavement size blocks; cement, sand and gravel have arrived at the site; and workers have begun to clean out 37 ancient cisterns there, he said in a phone interview.
According to reports in a local Islamic newspaper, 200-400 Muslims volunteer each Friday and Saturday to work at the site, he added.
Recently the committee decided to publish photos in a Hebrew paper of the giant stone cutter. Even though doing so risked jeopardizing their source of information, they released the pictures to prove that the destructive work is continuing.
The evidence has been so strong it prompted members of the Knesset Education committee, responsible for the Antiquities department, to accept the assessment of the committee.
Knesset member Yuval Shteinitz said recently that it was Israel's "obligation to the civilized world" to prevent the destruction of the artifacts on the Mount.
PA religious and other officials have repeatedly questioned Jewish claims to the area, some claiming the ancient temples were never built at the site at all.
Since the Romans destroyed the Second Temple shortly after the time of Christ, religious Jews have prayed at the "Wailing Wall," the remnant of the retaining western wall of the Mount. It is the closest they can get to their most sacred site.
Some Muslim leaders have even questioned Jews' right to pray there, saying the wall is holy to Muslims because the founder of Islam, Mohammed, is said to have tied his winged steed there during his "night flight" from Arabia to heaven, via Jerusalem.
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) described the alleged Palestinian activity at the Temple Mount as "Talibanism," a reference to the repressive and authoritarian regime in Afghanistan that recently destroyed two ancient statues of Budda because it considered them idols.
Known to Muslims as the Haram al-Shariff, the Temple Mount is under the sovereignty of Israel, but Israel allows a PA-controlled religious authority, the Wakf, to administer the site.
The issue of permanent sovereignty over the area was one of the key issues that brought about the collapse of Israeli-PA peace talks last year.
Revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims, the plateau is the site of two consecutive Jewish temples, and it was visited by Jesus. Two important Islamic shrines now sit atop those remains.
Cantor is due to present a measure Thursday calling for U.S. taxpayers to stop sending aid to the PA until "unauthorized excavations from the Temple Mount come to an end," a release from his office said.
He compared the PA excavations and the removal of ancient artifacts from the area under the Temple Mount to the recent destruction of Buddhist relics in Afghanistan by the ruling Islamic militia, the Taliban.
A spokesperson for Cantor said the congressman hoped to gain wide bipartisan support for his bill. He is aiming "to ensure that important sites in the Holy Land remain open and remain preserved in good condition with equal access for all people."
Nearly two years ago, it became apparent that the Wakf authorities had extended a small, Israel-approved project to open an emergency exit in an underground mosque into a full-blown expansion of the mosque itself.
Hundreds of tons of dirt were removed without examination, destroying thousands of years of Jewish, Christian and Muslim artifacts.
Although that work was reportedly stopped, it became apparent from the amount of debris being removed from the site that some kind of work continues.
Efforts to examine the site by the Israel Antiquities Authority were hampered by political concerns at the time and later hindered by the current crisis. No journalists or non-Muslims have been allowed on the Mount the last 10 months.
However, the Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount, an ad-hoc grouping of more than 30 leading archaeologists, authors, and public figures, monitors the situation there from the air and by other means.
The committee has extensive evidence, including photographic evidence that demonstrates that carnage is continuing.
Committee members Israel Caspi said that during the last two weeks alone, there were four main indications that work was indeed continuing.
From the air, the committee took photos of a tractor and two other large pieces of machinery at work; a giant stone cutter has been carving huge stones into pavement size blocks; cement, sand and gravel have arrived at the site; and workers have begun to clean out 37 ancient cisterns there, he said in a phone interview.
According to reports in a local Islamic newspaper, 200-400 Muslims volunteer each Friday and Saturday to work at the site, he added.
Recently the committee decided to publish photos in a Hebrew paper of the giant stone cutter. Even though doing so risked jeopardizing their source of information, they released the pictures to prove that the destructive work is continuing.
The evidence has been so strong it prompted members of the Knesset Education committee, responsible for the Antiquities department, to accept the assessment of the committee.
Knesset member Yuval Shteinitz said recently that it was Israel's "obligation to the civilized world" to prevent the destruction of the artifacts on the Mount.
PA religious and other officials have repeatedly questioned Jewish claims to the area, some claiming the ancient temples were never built at the site at all.
Since the Romans destroyed the Second Temple shortly after the time of Christ, religious Jews have prayed at the "Wailing Wall," the remnant of the retaining western wall of the Mount. It is the closest they can get to their most sacred site.
Some Muslim leaders have even questioned Jews' right to pray there, saying the wall is holy to Muslims because the founder of Islam, Mohammed, is said to have tied his winged steed there during his "night flight" from Arabia to heaven, via Jerusalem.
Originally published July 19, 2001.
