What's happened
Israeli authorities are accelerating excavations beneath Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, risking damage to Islamic heritage sites. Leaked videos show tunnels and demolition work targeting Islamic, Canaanite, and Roman archaeological layers, amid accusations of attempts to erase Islamic history and promote a Jewish Temple narrative. The Palestinian authorities call for international intervention.
What's behind the headline?
The excavations beneath Al-Aqsa are a strategic move that extends beyond archaeology into political symbolism. Israel's tunnel expansion, which includes a 550-meter-long tunnel passing under the mosque, appears designed to reinforce claims of Jewish historical rights to the area. The limited access for Palestinians and the secrecy surrounding the work suggest an intent to control the narrative and diminish Islamic heritage. The destruction of Islamic monuments dating back to the Umayyad period indicates a deliberate effort to erase evidence of Muslim history, aligning with broader efforts to reshape the historical landscape of Jerusalem. This escalation risks further destabilizing the fragile status quo and provoking international condemnation. The tunnel's proximity to the mosque's foundations could threaten its structural integrity, raising concerns about safety and preservation. The international community, including UNESCO and the UN, faces mounting pressure to intervene before irreversible damage occurs. The timing of these activities, amid ongoing tensions, suggests they are part of a broader strategy to assert Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem, with potential long-term implications for regional stability and religious coexistence.
What the papers say
The New Arab reports on the escalation of excavations and tunnel construction beneath Al-Aqsa, emphasizing the threat to Islamic heritage sites and the secrecy surrounding the work. The article highlights leaked videos and statements from Palestinian officials condemning the excavations as an attempt to erase Islamic history and promote a Jewish Temple narrative. Meanwhile, The Times of Israel provides context on recent archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem, such as the 9th-century dam in the City of David, illustrating Jerusalem's ancient and complex water infrastructure. This discovery underscores Jerusalem's historical significance as a resourceful and technologically advanced city long before the current conflicts. The juxtaposition of these stories reveals a pattern: Israeli archaeological activity is both a means of historical assertion and a source of tension, with recent excavations under Al-Aqsa representing a more aggressive phase aimed at controlling the narrative and physical space. Critics argue that these excavations are politically motivated, designed to legitimize claims over the city and diminish Palestinian and Islamic heritage, while proponents claim they are necessary for security and archaeological research. The international response remains divided, with UNESCO and other bodies calling for restraint and respect for the site's religious and cultural significance.
How we got here
Recent excavations under Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque have intensified, with Israel expanding tunnel networks near a UNESCO World Heritage site. These efforts, reportedly aimed at archaeological and security reasons, have raised concerns over the destruction of Islamic heritage and the potential impact on the mosque's foundations. The excavations are part of a broader pattern of Israeli archaeological activity in East Jerusalem, often criticized for disregarding Palestinian heritage and international agreements.
Go deeper
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Jerusalem is a city in the Middle East, located on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea.
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Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, is the third holiest site in Islam. The mosque was built on top of the Temple Mount, known as the Al Aqsa Compound or Haram esh-Sharif in Islam.