Ramallah: The Israeli Police on Monday closed the Al Magharba Gate Bridge — a wooden access ramp to the Al Aqsa mosque compound — for demolition, despite Jordanian and Egyptian warnings against the move which is expected to change the religious landscape of the holy city.
An occupied Jerusalem city engineer warned that the ramp poses a threat to the safety of visitors and tourists and should be sealed off, demolished and replaced, the police said in a statement.
The police statement stressed that only police and anti-riot forces will be allowed to use the bridge. On Sunday, Occupied Jerusalem municipality engineer Shlomo Shkol wrote a letter to the Al Buraq Heritage Foundation saying he would order the immediate closure of the structure, and prohibit its use.
King Abdullah II of Jordan has urged Israel to refrain from unilaterally demolishing the bridge. He was quoted during a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, during a secret visit to Jordan, as saying that "Israel must refrain from any step that will damage the character of [occupied] Jerusalem or sites that are scared to Islam and Christianity".
Special status
Jordan controlled the Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, from 1948 till the 1967 war, after which Israel annexed East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli-Jordanian 1994 peace treaty, Jordan enjoys a special status as a supervisor of the holy sites of occupied Jerusalem.
In Egypt, the dispute over the bridge was a key issue in the elections, with serious calls to the Egyptian leadership and the Jordanian king to dissuade Israel from replacing the ramp.
Aware of the possible repercussions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the Jerusalem Municipality to delay the demolition of the bridge for a short while.
The Arab states have been aware of the Israeli plans in Al Aqsa compound, and they have lodged a complaint with Unesco.
Abdul Salam Al Abadi, the Jordanian Minister of Islamic Affairs and Awqaf, told the Voice of Palestine that Jordan has already submitted a design solution for current status of the bridge, urging Israel against demolishing the bridge.
He stressed that according to the peace treaty, his ministry is directly in charge and responsible for the renovation of the Islamic sacred places in the holy city.
Making contacts
He said Jordan's king is making contacts at the international level to stop Israeli plans to change the bridge after demolishing it. He stressed that the Israelis are use unconvincing excuses to change the Islamic landscape in the holy city and "Judaise" them.
Residents of occupied East Jerusalem, public welfare organisations, and Arab countries believe that Israel plans to replace the wooden bridge with a cement bridge via which heavy military and construction machines can get inside the Al Aqsa compound to deal with unrest and undertake major construction projects. The Israelis also plan to build a new prayer hall for Jewish women near Al Buraq Wall.
