Digging on the Temple Mount Ir Amim Report, July 2007

During July 2007 there have been reports in the Israeli press of digging on the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif, carried out by the Waqf. While there is some truth in these reports, the bulk of what has been published tends to be exaggerated. For this reason, we believe it is important to set the record straight.

Post-Mortem on the Mugrabi Gate Case By Daniel Seidemann, June 2007

A comprehensive study and analysis of the events surrounding the Mugrabi Gate case was written by Daniel Seidemann and posted on the website of the University of Windor (Canada), as part of that university’s “Jerusalem Old City Initiative.”

The Old City and the Historic Basin: Issues of Concern and Recent Developments Ir Amim Report, March 2007

Jerusalem’s Old City and its adjacent areas also referred to as the “Holy Basin” or “Historic Basin” -- stand at the center of a bitter struggle between two national narratives (Israeli and Palestinian) and three religious narratives (Jewish, Muslim, and Christian). While this struggle is not new, recent developments threaten to upset the delicate status quo that has long existed between the narratives.  Together, these developments are reducing the conflict to its volatile core -- the battle over the physical embodiments of each side’s narrative.

Mugrabi Gate Update: Construction Off the Table (for now), Problematic Excavations Continue Ir Amim Update, February 2007

Plans to construct a new, massively expanded bridge to replace the present (temporary) Mugrabi Gate acces ramp are off the table, at least for the time being. While Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and his Cabinet voted to move ahead with the plan, despite the international outcry and violence/tension on the ground that the plan has already sparked, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski couragously intervened to halt the project.

The Mugrabi Gate Access Ramp: A Troubling Developments in the Old City Ir Amim Report, January 2007

On February 14, 2004, torrential rains led to collapse of the earthwork ramp that connected the Western Wall compound to the Mugrabi Gate since 1967. The Israeli authorities faced the dilemma of how to restore access to the Mugrabi Gate, given the deep sensitivities that exist with respect to changes in the status quo in this area.