THE CALIPH OMAR ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT: Can anyone point me to verification of this very interesting claim? It's in an editorial by
Jonathan Lincoln in the Middle East Times ("Next year, Jerusalem?").

That Al Aqsa sits where it does today is also perfectly reconcilable with Jewish belief and tradition. According to documents found in the Cairo Geniza, an archive of ancient Jewish manuscripts, the Caliph Omar asked the Jewish community to ensure that the shrine he erected on the Temple Mount, later to become the Al Aqsa Mosque, be built over the Temple's foundation.

In return, the Caliph allowed Jews to return, establish houses of worship and rebuild their community -- rights not accorded to them by their former Christian rulers. This history makes it particularly disheartening to hear some Palestinian religious and political leaders deny Jewish connections to the city.

Which Cairo Geniza document are they and where are they published?

UPDATE: David Stacey e-mails:

Check Moshe Gill's 'A History of Palestine 634-1099' sections 84-85 (pp70-71 in the English edition).

Thanks. I'll do so when I get a chance.