When Israel captured the Temple Mount and then promptly gave it back to the Arabs, this 'proved' to the Arabs that this was not a Jewish site. That could be the only explanation if you give up what is supposedly your holiest site. However, after the extensive excavations that the Waqf has done, when it removed tons of Jewish artifacts from beneath the ground, they know that this was definitely the site of the Jewish Temple. But they don't want the people to see this. That's why they are inciting people to demonstrate against Israel's work; to prevent the world from seeing the Jewish nature of the Temple Mount.

That's when Hagar hated the first Jew. How many trillion times must I tell Arabs to stop blaming a 60 year old country named Israel for a hatred that is 3500 years old and ORDERED by Muhammed 1400 years ago? May I be so bold as to propose a new solution? MOVE the Al-Aqsa golden mosque. Build a manmade island in the middle of the Dead Sea (appropriate enough?). Build a walkway wide enough for only two humans to pass if both are in a wheelchair. The walkway leads to the Muslim land to the East and no where else. Move Al-Aqsa to the middle of that island. Call it "Shalom Salaam Island". Hire Christians to exhume the bodies of the Islamic dead near the temple gate who were planted there to enrage Jews. I don't care where they get reburied. Muhammed should never have gone to the JEWISH temple to do whatever it is he did there. He did so deliberately to cause strife. It worked. Reward him by eliminating the threat via a good old fashioned move. They will say, "But the site is holy". Tell them you will move everything in tact and as carefully as you transcribe the Torah or preserve the bodies of their bombers. For you DO take great care with both. And they know it. Then rebuild your temple and pave the way for the triumphant return of Messiah. And while you are in your temple, teach the whole truth which includes the Jewish scripture that clearly shows the Moshiach Yeshuah had to SUFFER as Jesus horribly did.

Many people in Europe are sick and tired of the angry Muslims. They yearn and wait for people brave enough, proud enough, to stand up and show that they are not afraid. This is Israel's chance to regain a foothold in Europe. But instead, you behave like dhimmi's. What do you think will happen if you give in? You gain the Muslim's respect? They will reckognize your right to exist? Stop fooling yourselves. No such thing will happen. For god sakes, be proud Israeli Jews. I'll tell ya why, If you're not proud, you're still gonna be Israeli Jews so you might as well be proud. If you want to be respected, behave like people who deserve respect. But if you grovel, why are you surprised nobody treats you with dignity?

The Israeli Authorities are failing to properly explain the necessity of the excavation at the Murdabi Gate. They must talk to the public first and then to dig. They must to establish a proper contact with the Moslem and Christian leaders and make sure that after the reasoned explanations of the situation the other side will not consider any uprisings. Because the biggest problem comes from the Moslems it doesn’t mean we have to ignore the Christians. Because of the sensitivity of the place, the members of each faith have to be invited to participate in the excavations and repairs. It will have a positive impact for the stability and will create the communication bridge that is so needed.

This is rediculous. Its Judaisms holiest site, not Islams. Until Muslims respect Jewish holy sites there is NO chance of peace. Ban EVERYONE from the Temple Mount NOW,espcially Muslims.

Where in YNet does it show a real map of the dig in relation to the Al Aqsa mosque, showing how far apart they are? Where is it reported that the Mughrabi gate is the only way that non-Muslims can now enter the Temple Mount and that this is the real issue that the Muslims are trying to make it Judenrein? For that matter, how come YNet never reported on the Arab desecration of the synagogue Shmuel HaNavi's tomb a couple of weeks ago? The real facts are easy to find out but for some reason even the Israeli press is reluctant to show context and expose false Arab claims.

Don't let the PA define your terms. There are NO Temple Mount works. There are Western Wall plaza works, with a mound collapsing into the Kotel area being removed. Because it provides an access path to a gate that the police need, a bridge is needed to replace it. And that's the reason for a riot? You gonna let these people own you?

please help the hasbara there http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B84B85E3-7E69-4D79-8121-746EBEA7B304.htm dont focus on explaining to israelis speak to the enemy see u there

You have no backbone. Just give up -given in. Israel would not exist. total galut mentality. Wake up. Are you going to give up every time Muslims complain?

okey sister. you know, I listen when you talk. Atilla Karagözoğlu

Lets protect the structural integrity of the mosque, but keep uncovering our history and the history of others. Nobdoy does archeology like we do in Israel and we have a right to our history. Shame on those who fear reprisals --- and sacrifice our history due to fear.

B"H The bridge works are an exercise in appeasement. There are a couple of options: 1. Ignore the Arab provocation. The Arabs are using this provocation to try to unify ranks and ignore their internal difficulties. The work would then go on and the Arab world would continue to complain and likely instigate some sort of major provocation. That may be in store anyway. 2. Israel could announce that these illegitimate provocations against its sovereignty are unacceptable. Therefore the Arab nation needs to stop these unfounded statements so Israel does initiate provocations in the Arab mind. This approach distances Israel from the Arab leadership's statements. If an Arab attack comes, it prepares the Arab leadership for the result. 3. Israel could announce that there have been provocations in the Arab mind concerning the necessary work to fortify the mount. Therefore, so that there is no disappointment in the expectations set, Israel is intent on meeting the set expectations of a provocation. Of course that would need to be delivered upon to set it down as a fact on the ground. Any provocation would due. For instance if ten Jews were allowed to walk up on the mount and pray after immersing in a mikveh properly, the Arab world would consider this a sufficient provocation to justify their next move. When there is a sealed agreement that means violence against Israel. It is just a matter of what sort of violence is being planned. 4. Israel could explain the technical problem with the mount pathway stating that there is a danger of a great provocation to the Arab world that Israel is trying to prevent. That is that that the area on which the Arabs pray is expected to collapse unless Israel intercedes. Israel's approach has been to try to reconstruct the foundation by setting in place experts in the field to conduct the necessary and very sensitive work. However, there has been a false rumor spread that these experts are intent on preventing prayer on top. Given that Israel puts Islam as its highest value, having it set on the Temple Mount, Israel's holiest spot in the country, it is doing everything possible to prevent Islam's collapse there. It is facilitating dialogue in every possible way to prevent this disentegration. However, there is a point where even this collapse can not prevented if this is what G-d desires. Israel expects therefore that every leader who values the mount arrive in Jerusalem for a discussion on the temple mount on how to resolve the problem in the best possible manner. This shows caring and empathy. To appease G-d with the proper service is much more difficult than to appease mankind. This is simply a practice for the eventual restoration of the Kohen service there which is not happening today. We need to learn how to talk properly in our appeasement today so that G-d may receive our proper speech in the future.

Why don't we just move out of Israel since our presence has been the source of wars?

You are idioto!

They want a riot,then let the regime ask for volunteers and give us weapons.There are plenty of us who will be willing to shed pali blood!

When will this conflict ever end? it is consuming us all and turning us into lunatics !!!! the last thing we need right is further conflict points such as this........ I will try and explain things from my side, hopefully some of you will understand, most Palestinians (including my self) have not been able to go to Jerusalem for last 10 years if not more due to the nightmare situation we live in. It is a place dear to our hearts, and it is changing rapidly. we are completely unaware of what is going on over there, and we feel that the remaining palestinian population is being replaced by an Israeli population, making it harder and harder for us to think of a brighter future........most people who visit Jerusalem say that they don't recognize it anymore.....on the other hand there are millions of Muslims world wide whom identify strongly with Jerusalem and would love to be able to experience this amazingly spiritual place, sadly they can't. when it comes to the al-aqsa mosque, there is a general feeling and theory that you guys don't want it there, and eventually some off you will do something about it... whether this is true or not is a different story, but that explains the extreme sensitivity about the location in addition to its religious significance, and the inability to visit and worship. also, serious cracks and structural issues are emerging in the al-aqsa mosque, and it is said to be due to such excavations in the area. You have the right to excavate and look for your history, and your heritage. no one can or should deny you that right, but it in my opinion it is the obligation of your government and scientists to look beyond politics and religion on this one, and make sue that the sites that are there remain standing and in a good shape, enough blood - Israeli and Palestinian has been spilled and i think it is time to think of -and work towards a better future, communication and bridging the gap. i have a suggestion, and i hope someone will take it seriously, why don't the Israeli authorities take along some Arabic media, and Muslim religious figures, show them what is really being done and save us all from the next conflict? unless they have something to hide, this should not be a problem to do..... i hope this all somehow makes sense .....

The irony is overwheling, but Adel had the best answer out of all of you. Let the Israeli gov't take Arabs and media and let them see what's really going on? That will save, money, time, and lives. What a concept.

but everybody knows that the Israeli government is not doing anything to jeapardize the mosque or the dome. The reaction may be due, as you say, in part to fear that we are harming the mosque - but most of the provocation is by people who think we Jews have NO rights to be near there at all. And a team of muslim observers is not going to change that. The construction is to an area around the temple mount. We have selflessly relinquished control over the top of the mount to you, the muslims, in an arrangment that is fair to muslims but unfair to Jews. Indeed, our government recently approved a new mineret to be constructed by the Kingdom of Jordan. Having bent over backwards to protect muslim rights over this joint holy cite, it makes us furious to see muslims threaten violence when we are doing what is our right to do - excavate our past and protect the structural integrity of the plaza near our holy western wall. I too hope for peace - but I see more Israelis willing to compromise than I do arabs/muslims.

You are wrong sir. Mr Sharon's walk was known 2 weeks in advance, that is why they had it all organized to start the intifada at that time. The same appears to be happening right now. It has been known ever since the old entrance path collapsed that it would be rebuilt, and the law states that all excavations if they come across antiquities have to have them preserved as much as possible. The arabs are again using a rallying cry having prepared their populace in advance by psyching them up for it. Some of us hav long memories and do not succumb to the re-writing of history, and can put two and two together and come out with four.

Your politically correct writers will wipe up any Israeli vestige in the area in a short time Thanks for publishing the kind of articles that promote more intifada, without your valuable help, no riots would be understood by media and enlightened "proffesionals" as Litani

What an amazingly stupid column. Since the same people condemning carrying out work required for the safety of people (Jews and Arabs) are the same people who read the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, why don't we just stop celebrating Passover in order to avoid those charges?

What’s the problem with the renovation work at the temple mount? Muslims and the tourists will get a new approach to Muslim holy sites. We shall have our ‘only’ holy site beautified. The walls; surrounding Muslim holy sites; where ones our temple was standing; are so strongly designed and built some 5000 years ago; whole of Roman army could not bring it down; they could destroy our temple above; but not the walls! What damage just a few HP machines manned by experts; not designed for destruction; can do to the structures standing over the mount? Forget about the impact you will not feel the vibrations! What is left for us today is just a wall; without any shade or shadow. With the time half of the wall is berried underground; if not excavated another 5000 years and whole thing will hide underground. Do you realize? You are opposing just because you want to create some sensations! That makes all Muslims of the world come together! Probably to show the world your strength and may be to expend your faith, that’s what your people did in past.

The talkbacks here show little resolve for averting a volatile situation, which could easily have been avoided with some prior consultation with archaeologists who are politically neutral. Mixing religion and science with inefficient city management seems to be a recipe for (more) disaster. I am monitoring this on the israelitybites.blogspot. (http://israelitybites.blogspot.com)

So it's ok to for Arabs to destroy the Temple Mount and discard Jewish artifacts to the dung heap but Israel has to stop its dig. Nonsense. the Al Aksa mosque should have been destroyed in "67 when Israel recaptured the Mount much as Jordanian hordes destroyed the synagogues when it captured Jerusalem in '48 This way the Arabs would have undestood that Israel meant business. Instead they trusted the Arabs to tsake care of things. All they have had is trouble from teh intifada whjem Sharon had the timerity to visit the Mount which should have been his right in his own country.

This excavation is actually helpful to Muslims; can't they overcome their jealous for once?

Unlike the illegal and damaging work carried out by the Wafk on the Temple Mount, the dangerous ramp that is falling apart on the OUTSIDE of the Temple Mount is being dismantled legally with supervision of an archaeological inspector of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The ramp is being taken apart because it endangers everyone, Jews and Arabs. But why let the facts get in the way of the kind of viciousness against humanity that your ilk prefer.

While of course sane people are aware that Jews do not mix blood into their matzohs it is a known fact that matzohs have caused severe rioting and tension in the past. No amount of concret proof will convince the blood libelists that their claim is untrue. Therefore while we may have the sovereign right to bake matzohs prudence dictates that we should move to rice cakes. Since they taste like cardboard nobody would suspect they contain a drop of blood.

When it came to the pyramids it's a different subject but when it comes to the temple they want to stop it hypocrecy.That's it let's stop wasting our blood sweat and tears on these idiots and find a solution now!

Your intentions are good, but you only go so far into the issue, and no more: The real issue is that the mosque was built on the Temple Mount around 600 AD. There is no connection of the mosque to God or Abraham, or anyone else from the Old Testament. The whole Islamic religion is artificially created, borrowing and distorting from the bible, with the goal to unite Arabs. Muslims can try all they want to fool uneducated Arabs, but I look at history: They've been two Jewish Temples on the Temple Mount, centuries before Mohammet was even born. Can you manage to remember that? Can you understand whatit means? that we're lied to by Islam????