VZCZCXYZ0018
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJMA #0252 0381554
ZNY CCCCC ZZH ZUI RUEWMCE0158 0381607
O 071554Z FEB 07
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
ZEN/RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000252 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA FOR 
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2017 
TAGS:              
SUBJECT: MUGHRABI GATE RAMP EXCAVATIONS AT HARAM 
AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
 1. (C) SUMMARY: EXCAVATIONS IN PREPARATION FOR THE 
CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW RAMP TO THE MUGHRABI GATE TO THE HARAM 
AL-SHARIF HAVE INFLAMED TENSIONS IN JERUSALEM'S OLD CITY. 
THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE WAQF SAID ISRAELI POLICE HAVE 
RESTRICTED ACCESS TO THE HARAM AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT FOR THE 
PAST TWO DAYS, AND THE HEAD OF THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT IN ISRAEL 
WAS ARRESTED FEBRUARY 7 AS HE ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE 
EXCAVATION SITE.  THE RAMP WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT WOODEN 
RAMP, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 2005 TO REPLACE A COLLAPSED EARTHEN 
RAMP.  THE RAMP PROVIDES ACCESS TO THE HARAM AL SHARIF/TEMPLE 
MOUNT FOR ISRAELIS UNDER POLICE ESCORT AND FOR TOURISTS. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 2. (C) TENSIONS HAVE INCREASED IN JERUSALEM'S OLD CITY AS 
EXCAVATIONS WERE BEGUN FEBRUARY 6 AT THE PLANNED LOCATION OF 
THE NEW MUGHRABI GATE RAMP. ACCORDING TO PRESS ACCOUNTS,  11 
PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED FEBRUARY 6 AFTER PROTESTING THE 
EXCAVATIONS.  ADNAN HUSSEINI, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE WAQF, TOLD 
POLOFF FEBRUARY 7 THAT 500 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WERE 
PROHIBITED FROM ATTENDING THE WAQF-RUN SCHOOL LOCATED NEXT TO 
THE AL AQSA COMPOUND. SHEIKH RA'AD SALAH, HEAD OF THE ISLAMIC 
MOVEMENT IN ISRAEL, WAS DETAINED BY ISRAELI POLICE ON 
FEBRUARY 7 WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO ENTER THE EXCAVATION AREA. 
HUSSEINI SAID HEAVY EARTH-MOVING EQUIPMENT WAS BROUGHT IN 
FEBRUARY 7 TO BEGIN THE EXCAVATIONS MORE QUICKLY, WHICH HE 
SAID ARE "DANGEROUS" AND "STRIPPING AWAY" THE CITYS HISTORY. 
(COMMENT: ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS RARELY USE LARGE 
EARTH-MOVING EQUIPMENT, AND THEY ARE ESPECIALLY INAPPROPRIATE 
IN AN AREA AS ARCHAEOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AS THE OLD CITY. END 
COMMENT.) 
 
 3. (C) THE PREVIOUS MUGHRABI GATE RAMP WAS A 75 METER-LONG 
EARTHEN STRUCTURE CONSTRUCTED SHORTLY AFTER THE 1967 WAR, 
WHEN THE GOI DESTROYED ARAB HOMES IN THE MUGHRABI (MOROCCAN) 
QUARTER TO CONSTRUCT THE WESTERN WALL PLAZA.  TORRENTIAL 
RAINS IN FEBRUARY OF 2004 LED TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE RAMP, 
WHICH LEADS TO THE ONLY GATE USED BY ISRAELIS (GENERALLY 
RIGHT-WING GROUPS) TO VISIT THE HARAM AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT. 
THE GATE IS ALSO USED BY TOURISTS. A TEMPORARY WOODEN RAMP 
WAS CONSTRUCTED IN FEBRUARY 2005, AND THE CURRENT PLAN WOULD 
CONSTRUCT A PERMANENT REPLACEMENT FOR THAT RAMP. THE NEW 
RAMP, AT 200 METERS LONG, WOULD EXTEND FROM THE MUGHRABI GATE 
TO NEAR THE DUNG GATE. (COMMENT: PALESTINIANS FEAR A LARGER 
RAMP WILL FACILITATE ACCESS TO THE HARAM AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE 
MOUNT BY ISRAELIS AND BY ISRAELI SECURITY FORCES. END 
COMMENT.) 
 
 4. (C)  DANNY SEIDEMANN, FOUNDER OF THE ISRAELI HUMAN RIGHTS 
NGO IR AMIN, TOLD POLOFF FEBRUARY 5 THAT THE BUILDING PERMIT 
FOR THE MUGHRABI GATE RAMP WAS GRANTED ILLEGALLY AND THAT HE 
HAS WRITTEN TO ATTORNEY GENERAL MENACHEM MAZUZ ASKING THAT 
THE EXCAVATION AND CONSTRUCTION BE STOPPED. SEIDEMANN SAID 
THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY HAS SAID 
NO SUCH A PERMIT CAN BE GRANTED WITHOUT A NEW ZONING PROCESS 
FOR THE AREA. SEIDEMANN SAID THIS ZONING WOULD REQUIRE PUBLIC 
REVIEW, WHICH HAS NOT OCCURRED. SEIDEMANN TOLD POLOFF 
FEBRUARY 7 THAT HE EXPECTED A DECISION FROM THE ATTORNEY 
GENERAL ON FEBRUARY 8. 
 
 5. (C) GIDON SULEIMAN, ARCHAEOLOGIST WITH THE ISRAELI 
ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY, TOLD POLOFF JANUARY 26 THAT HE 
BELIEVES CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW RAMP WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO 
HARM THE HARAM AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT ITSELF, BUT COULD CAUSE 
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK NEXT TO THE 
WESTERN WALL. ADDITIONALLY, HE PREDICTED THAT THE 
CONSTRUCTION OF A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER RAMP COULD INFLAME 
TENSIONS IN THE AREA. HUSSEINI SAID THE DAMAGE TO 
CRUSADER-ERA TILES NEAR THE REMAINS OF THE OLD EARTHEN RAMP 
HAS ALREADY OCCURRED, AND "WHEN WE SEE THE BULLDOZER SMASHING 
TILES FROM THE MAMALUK PERIOD, IT IS LIKE THEY ARE SMASHING 
OUR HEADS." 
 
WALLES