Thursday, February 26, 2009

SOME CONTROVERSIES that - directly or indirectly - involve archaeology and ancient Judaism are currently in the news:

This one just goes on and on:
Reform rabbis urge relocation of Museum of Tolerance
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS (Jerusalem Post)

The leaders of Reform Jewry in North America on Wednesday urged the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center to relocate its planned Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem to an alternative location in the city due to the location of a Muslim cemetery found on a section of the planned construction site.

[...]
Background here.

This one has been around for awhile too, but there are significant recent developments:
Palestinians ask Obama to press Israel to halt demolitions

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) — The Palestinian Authority urged the US president on Monday to press Israel to scrap a plan to raze almost 90 homes in annexed Arab east Jerusalem.

"We call on President Barack Obama to intervene personally to have this project stopped," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, one of the main aides of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

The Palestinian owners of 88 houses in the Silwan neighbourhood have received eviction notices saying that the structures will be destroyed because they were built or expanded without the necessary permits. The move would affect about 1,500 people.

[...]
Haaretz also noted the following recently:
Jerusalem offers to voluntarily relocate 1,500 Palestinian residents
By Nir Hasson

The Jerusalem municipality may offer to voluntarily relocate some 1,500 Palestinian residents of the city's Silwan neighborhood - currently living on top of an archaeological site - to alternative lots in East Jerusalem, residents say.

The option was brought up by city council and East Jerusalem portfolio holder Yakir Segev, in meetings with the residents.

[...]
(The latter via Joseph I. Lauer's list.)

Finally, an archaeological controversy involving ancient Jewish bones outside Israel:
Jewish bones in Rabat are ours'
Heritage Malta says everything must stay on site

Kurt Sansone (Times of Malta)

The Jewish catacombs in Rabat were at the centre of controversy in recent days after Heritage Malta called in police when a Jewish religious delegation allegedly entered the site without authorisation.

The Jewish community in Malta is demanding that the human bones found inside the catacombs are given a proper burial according to Jewish rites.

A Jewish delegation made up of at least 10 experts, Rabbis and archaeologists from Israel and the US was brought over to Malta by the Jewish community to carry out the burial.

[...]