Israel delays bridge razing at volatile holy site Mon Nov 28, 2011 10:24am GMTThere's been lots of commentary about this, most recently from Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkai: “The Government is Being Dictated To.”
*Bridge leads from Western Wall to al-Aqsa mosque complex
* Muslim religious leader in Jerusalem opposes project
* Israel says wooden ramp unsafe, must be replaced By Maayan Lubell
JERUSALEM, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed demolition of a footbridge at Jerusalem's holiest and most volatile religious site, fearing the work could spark Muslim anger, government officials said on Monday. The wooden ramp, now deemed unsafe by engineers, was erected by Israeli authorities as a stopgap after a snowstorm and earthquake in 2004 damaged the stone bridge leading up from Judaism's Western Wall to the sacred compound where the al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine stand. [...]
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