Israel: Temple Mount Wall May Collapse Due to Ramadan Crowds.

By Ellis Shuman (courtesy of and copyright by IsraelInsider.com)

Before departing for Russia last week, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reportedly met with Israeli officials to discuss the protruding bulge in the southern wall of the Temple Mount. The urgency of the discussion was due

Discussion at the meeting focused on the protruding bulge in the southern wall, which now extends about a meter outwards. Members of the Committee Against the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount, a citizens watchdog committee, said the bulge resulted from illegal construction work on the Temple Mount, especially the development of the underground area known as Solomon's Stables as a mosque.

The Temple Mount is under the authority of the Waqf, the Muslim religious trust. Access to the Temple Mount has been off limits to non-Muslims since the outbreak of Intifada violence in September 2000, following Sharon's controversial visit to the site, revered by Jews as the location of the ancient holy Temples.

The urgency of the discussion was due to the fact that during Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of worshippers are expected to visit the Temple Mount on Fridays. When access to the mosques on the Temple Mount is unlimited, as many as 400,000 worshippers attend the prayers. When curfews are imposed and access is limited due to security concerns, 200,000 worshippers could still arrive at the Temple Mount.

Officials in the Ministry of Internal Security are aware of the possible consequences if the southern wall would collapse while the mosques behind it are packed with worshippers. One senior official described the scenario to Maariv as "the Third World War."

In the discussion, it was clear to all participants that Israel would have to pay the price no matter what happened regarding the southern wall, Maariv reported. "If Israel decides to repair the wall, without the agreement of the Waqf, this will result in riots in Israel and the territories," one official said. "If the wall collapses when worshippers are on the Temple Mount, it will be even worse. We will be held guilty no matter what."