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Last update - 00:00 11/02/2007
Digs, lies and the Mugrabi bridge
By Nadav Shragai

The people who came up with the plan to build the Mugrabi bridge may soon find out that the unfounded hysterical Muslim campaign "to rescue the endangered al-Aqsa Mosque" is the least of their problems.

Shortcuts in plans sometimes turn out to be very expensive and may even prolong the process. The plan to build the new Mugrabi bridge should have been presented to the public properly, as part of a detailed urban plan, which allows for reservations and changes to be submitted. This is required by law as well as by reason. After all, this is a controversial, significant change of landscape in a unique spot facing the Temple Mount and its walls. Even those who support the plan say it is the lesser evil. Clearly the plan would never have materialized had the Mugrabi ramp not collapsed. But it is not at all clear whether the option of renovating the old ramp had been considered with sufficient thought and creativity.

Still, one good thing did happen. The Mugrabi bridge plan exposes the great Muslim denial - the denial of the Jewish bond to Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the Temple. Dr. Yitzhak Reiter described the whole story in his study, From Jerusalem to Mecca and Back - a must for anyone wishing to understand the roots of Muslim behavior, even in the Mugrabi bridge affair - but his work remained, regrettably, an academic study, failing to prompt an appropriate public relations campaign on Israel's part. Now the public is receiving another demonstration.
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Who among us knows, for example, that the al-Aqsa Mosque, which according to contemporary studies was built some 1,400 years ago, is now claimed to have been built at the time of the world's creation, during the days of Adam or Abraham? And who is aware of the fact that increasing numbers of Muslim academics and religious leaders claim it existed even before Jesus and Moses and that Islam preceded Judaism in Jerusalem?

Today, thousands of Islamic rulings, publications and sources deny the Jewish roots in Jerusalem and its holy places. They claim that the Temple didn't even exist in Jerusalem but was located in Nablus or Yemen. An Islamic legal pronouncement (fatwa) on the Jerusalem Waqf (Muslim religious trust) Web site says King Solomon and King Herod did not build the Temple at all, but merely refurbished an existing structure that had been there from the days of Adam. Today, many Muslims call the Temple "the greatest fraud crime in history" and many Muslim adjudicators attach the world "so-called" to the word "temple."

On the southern Islamic movement's Web site, Mohamed Khalaikah cites Israeli archaeologists in support of his theory that there is no trace of the Jews' Temple. He distorts the writings of these archaeologists, whose studies provided findings from Biblical sources corroborating the Temple's existence.

Muslim religious figures attempt to portray the Jewish presence in Jerusalem as having been short-term. The Western Wall is a Muslim site, they argue, and say Jewish affinity for it was invented for political purposes and dates only to the 19th and 20th centuries. Their aim is to disprove the centrality of Jerusalem to Judaism. Above all they stress the "precedence and supremacy of Islam over Judaism, which contaminates the city's Muslim character."

Muslim religious leaders, with at least partial academic backing, are today rewriting Jerusalem's history and introducing new terms and content into Muslim and Palestinian discourse. These terms are total nonsense, even according to known Muslim historians like al Makdessi (who lived in the 11th century). In recent years, this new terminology has penetrated the discourse of Palestinian and Muslim politicians as well. Ehud Barak, Shlomo Ben-Ami and the members of the Israeli delegation were horrified to hear it at the Camp David Summit of 2000 from Yasser Arafat and members of his delegation.

It is therefore easy to understand why the Muslims are so afraid of archaeological digs, not only on the Temple Mount itself but also around it, although these digs also shed light on Jerusalem's Muslim history. Muslims fear these excavations, not because they physically endanger al-Aqsa's foundations, but because they undermine the tissue of lies proclaiming that the Jews have no valid historical roots in the city and its holy sites.
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  1.   I don`t agree 11:02  |  Bandar Michaels 11/02/07
  2.   Lies, lies and more lies 11:19  |  Avraham 11/02/07
  3.   muslims and the truth 11:46  |  sean 11/02/07
  4.   The Third Temple 12:16  |  Dror 11/02/07
  5.   THE EXISTANCE OF ISRAEL MAKES KORAN AND MUHAMMED A LIE ?? 12:56  |  Bill. 11/02/07
  6.   a Lesson in history 13:18  |  Abu Firas Alqudsi 11/02/07
  7.   TEMPLE MOUNT TITLE DEEDS PURCHASED BY KING DAVID OVER 3000 YRS ?? 13:22  |  Bill. 11/02/07
  8.   In response to the comment about Melchitzedek. 13:44  |  sandra chitayat 11/02/07
  9.   #6 13:51  |  Dr. Robert Frosch 11/02/07
  10.   Reply to Abu Firas Alqudsi - 6. 13:51  |  James 11/02/07
  11.   Solution?! 13:53  |  Hiram 11/02/07
  12.   Jerusalem 14:19  |  hameed 11/02/07
  13.   Reply to Hiram - 11. 14:22  |  James 11/02/07
  14.   # 11 Hiram, the Caananites and Islam 14:23  |  Psalm 11/02/07
  15.   #7, billi-Temple title deeds purchased by king david..... 14:32  |  tbora 11/02/07
  16.   Robert Frosch sources 14:44  |  Abu Firas Alqudsi 11/02/07
  17.   Moses did NOT lead the Jews to Jerusalem. 14:46  |  Lebanese admirer 11/02/07
  18.   Moon god of Mecca 14:50  |  Lebanese admirer 11/02/07
  19.   God doesn`t mind synagogues, churches or mosques 14:53  |  Lebanese admirer 11/02/07
  20.   James..the wise Glaswegian 14:55  |  Abu Firas Al qudsi 11/02/07
  21.   Mr. Al Qudsi (Sahih Muslim 234,251) 15:04  |  Brant 11/02/07
  22.   The sad thing is they believe it 15:16  |  James Stevens 11/02/07
  23.   Bandar Michaels post 1 15:17  |  Tulip 11/02/07
  24.   Over the top 15:21  |  TM 11/02/07
  25.   #6 he says fabricated history ? YES ITS THE STORY OF ISLAM 15:24  |  paul harris 11/02/07
  26.   Abu -- no one is claiming otherwise,but your missing a few things 15:24  |  bbl 11/02/07
  27.   hey relax guys! 15:29  |  Hiram 11/02/07
  28.   We are dealing with a culture that does not know what a `fact` is 15:31  |  Shalom Freedman 11/02/07
  29.   These Muslims will find anything to hate Israel. 15:35  |  The Equalizer 11/02/07
  30.   To Abu Firas Alqudsi-#-Respect 15:36  |  Daniel Leopold 11/02/07
  31.   Lebanese admirer-#17-Prophet Muhamad did NOT lead Muslims 15:39  |  Daniel Leopold 11/02/07
  32.   # 19 Lebanese admirer...most sensible post in a long time 15:41  |  albert amato 11/02/07
  33.   lebanese admirer i remember your blood curdling 15:51  |  nahum 11/02/07
  34.   Story of Islam 15:56  |  Ravi 11/02/07
  35.   Brant..not quite 16:01  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 11/02/07
  36.   last post on the subject 16:15  |  Abu Firas AL Qudsi 11/02/07
  37.   Abu Firas -- Have Muslims abandoned objective reality? 16:16  |  bbl 11/02/07
  38.   Historical ties dont matter on the map of today! 16:20  |  Fritz 11/02/07
  39.   Abu Firas Alqudsi: Admits Ethnic Cleansing by Caliph Omar I 16:20  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 11/02/07
  40.   Abu Firas Al Qudsi 16:23  |  Ravi 11/02/07
  41.   The poor downtrodden are the oppressors 16:24  |  B 11/02/07
  42.   Muslims in Spain 16:26  |  CHGODMK 11/02/07
  43.   This reminds me 16:28  |  KUTW 11/02/07
  44.   Abu Firas Alqudsi: Temple is Central to Greek New Testament 16:29  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 11/02/07
  45.   Arabs continue the tradition 16:37  |  KUTW 11/02/07
  46.   I Wonder Where the New Birthplace of the Prophet Will Be ? 16:38  |  Klaudia 11/02/07
  47.   Fritz, for you historic ties may be very boring; for us, Jews, it 16:51  |  Nadav 11/02/07
  48.   Alqudsi Avoids the Truth 16:54  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 11/02/07
  49.   They Would Protest Against The Wind If They Were Told To 16:57  |  Tony Anthony 11/02/07
  50.   # 19 Lebanese admirer. QUITE RIGHT,BUT........... 17:11  |  Kath` 11/02/07
  51.   Lebanese Admirer 17:13  |  Psalm 11/02/07
  52.   Lebanese Admirer- and god of Mosques 17:18  |  Psalm 11/02/07
  53.   To All Who Replied To ABu Furas AL-Qudsi 17:24  |  AN Honest American 11/02/07
  54.   Hiram a word of advice 17:25  |  Psalm 11/02/07
  55.   # 18 Moon god of Mecca 17:35  |  Lynn 11/02/07
  56.   # 42 CHGODMK 17:42  |  Lynn 11/02/07
  57.   lies and the Mugrabi bridge 17:48  |  Ralph 11/02/07
  58.   Mr.Abu Firas; you answered to your own questions! 17:54  |  Alicia 11/02/07
  59.   Abu Firas AL Qudsi # 37 Temples & Churches 17:58  |  Jeff Northridge 11/02/07
  60.   to Lebanese admirer 17:58  |  Sol 11/02/07
  61.   Temple 18:14  |  Steve 11/02/07
  62.   Changing History Will Only Be The Beginning! 18:36  |  Peter 11/02/07
  63.   Some Books Deny The Existence Of God 18:38  |  Yosemite 11/02/07
  64.   Lynn #56 18:51  |  CHGODMK 11/02/07
  65.   Abu Firas Al Qudsi: Literary references re: Te 18:52  |  Ed 11/02/07
  66.   Ravi / Story of Islam - 1 18:57  |  Bandar Michaels 11/02/07
  67.   42. CHGODMK: Muslims in Spain 19:03  |  KUTW 11/02/07
  68.   Har Habayit 19:05  |  Dr. David I. Gross 11/02/07
  69.   Ravi / Story of Islam - 2 19:07  |  Bandar Michaels 11/02/07
  70.   Judaism agrees: Islam is monotheistic 19:32  |  Charles B. Hall 11/02/07
  71.   Abu of Abu Tiras #6 19:34  |  Gabe1 11/02/07
  72.   Ovadiah he didn`t produce evidence 19:37  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 11/02/07
  73.   Ed # 65 References to the Temples 19:54  |  Jeff Northridge 11/02/07
  74.   The exisitance of Israel Mkes Koran and Muhammed a lie? 20:06  |  Aggie 11/02/07
  75.   Jeff Northridge 20:26  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 11/02/07
  76.   Abu Firas Al Qudsi, the temple 20:30  |  FOX 11/02/07
  77.   Quran does not mention jerusalem 20:48  |  FOX 11/02/07
  78.   Islamic myths vs. Jewish myths 20:51  |  Tosefta 11/02/07
  79.   Bandar Michaels # 66 Some Corrections 20:53  |  Jeff Northridge 11/02/07
  80.   Mr.Farsi´s futile arguments 21:12  |  Alicia 11/02/07
  81.   paul#22.The answer is in 21:13  |  JohnV 11/02/07
  82.   Fox..I sm noy yting to rob you of yours history 21:20  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 11/02/07
  83.   Lies and the Mugrabi bridge 21:30  |  Claude Hasson 11/02/07
  84.   Abu Firas Al Qudsi # 75 Islamic Sources? 21:36  |  Jeff Northridge 11/02/07
  85.   to FOX: Koran is Zionist ! 21:46  |  farhad 11/02/07
  86.   #66 Bandar Michaels,this what I read too... 21:49  |  Adam 11/02/07
  87.   Islamic hysteria 21:55  |  Adrian de Klerk 11/02/07
  88.   Bandar 21:59  |  Ravi 11/02/07
  89.   Tosefta- Thanks! 22:06  |  Psalm 11/02/07
  90.   #70 Charles Hall 22:20  |  Psalm 11/02/07
  91.   to Deniers of Jewish Temple 22:36  |  farhad 11/02/07
  92.   Muslims pray to Meca Jews pray to Jersalem 22:38  |  sam 11/02/07
  93.   Asserting souvereignty... 22:58  |  Katharina 11/02/07
  94.   Jeff..You can believe anything you want 23:02  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 11/02/07
  95.   #53 An Honest American 23:04  |  Psalm 11/02/07
  96.   Islam wants it all 23:14  |  Guy 11/02/07
  97.   #89 Psalm - You are welcome 23:17  |  Tosefta 11/02/07
  98.   Archeologists AGREE 23:18  |  Michael H. 11/02/07
  99.   TO #78 Impressive Tosefta! Thanks! 23:19  |  Alicia 11/02/07
  100.   Poetic justice 23:27  |  Colin Wright 11/02/07
  101.   ZION`S STONE - COVENANT OF DEATH - ALLOWING ISLAM ON MOUNT ?? 23:29  |  Bill. 11/02/07
  102.   Abu Firas Alqudsi 23:36  |  Charles 11/02/07
  103.   Re #28 "we are dealing with...` 23:36  |  Colin Wright 11/02/07
  104.   simple fact 23:39  |  Guy 11/02/07
  105.   Re #85 `To FOX Koran is Zionist` 23:42  |  Colin Wright 11/02/07
  106.   WHAT DOES G-D`S WORD SAY ABOUT PALESTINE ?? 23:43  |  Bill. 11/02/07
  107.   the Mugrabi bridge 23:43  |  Shmuelshachor 11/02/07
  108.   to Charles on islam n monotheism 23:46  |  Anubhav 11/02/07
  109.   # 93 The man who doesn`t believe in Santa 23:48  |  ChanahS 11/02/07
  110.   to colin wright on greeks n western thinking n islamic link 23:51  |  Anubhav 11/02/07
  111.   colin racist 23:52  |  larrry k 11/02/07
  112.   Colin Wright 23:52  |  Come on 11/02/07
  113.   Abu Firas Al Qudsi 23:55  |  Erik 11/02/07
  114.   to Lynn on paganism moon god n islam 23:56  |  Anubhav 11/02/07
  115.   Evidence 00:07  |  Vidal 12/02/07
  116.   Colin Wright 00:18  |  Amir 12/02/07
  117.   arabs looking for an excuse to create in international incident 00:36  |  zionist forever 12/02/07
  118.   #99 Alicia; The name al-Aqsa 00:38  |  Tosefta 12/02/07
  119.   # 71 Gabe 1. JUST AN ADDENDUM.OMER KHAYYAM WAS A PERSIAN... 00:41  |  Kath` 12/02/07
  120.   Another example of Poetic Justice 00:47  |  TOM C 12/02/07
  121.   GREAT ARTICLE 00:51  |  RITA 12/02/07
  122.   Abu Firas Alqudsi 01:03  |  zionist forever 12/02/07
  123.   abu firas, reality of islam 01:08  |  charro 12/02/07
  124.   # 106 Bill 01:09  |  Lynn 12/02/07
  125.   Abu Firas Al Qudsi # 94 Believe What You Want To Too 01:11  |  Jeff Northridge 12/02/07
  126.   Who Cares? 01:12  |  Harry D 12/02/07
  127.   Temple Mount is not Al Axa 01:14  |  zionist forever 12/02/07
  128.   Let`s assume Mohammad actually stayed in Jerusalem for one night 01:18  |  Massoud Levy 12/02/07
  129.   Bandar the Great 01:25  |  An ex-Muslim 12/02/07
  130.   to all arabs, islam, muslims 01:29  |  charro 12/02/07
  131.   # 78 Tosefta.Myths etc.BUT YOU ARE GOING TO CONFUSE THE ARABS... 01:35  |  Kath` 12/02/07
  132.   Neither Abraham nor Ishmael set a foot in Arabia 01:37  |  Jake 12/02/07
  133.   One more painful concessioin to the cannnanites? 01:43  |  eyman-amen 12/02/07
  134.   Anubhav 01:45  |  Charles 12/02/07
  135.   Degrees of Evidence 01:56  |  Oh Please 12/02/07
  136.   It would be wise 02:10  |  Edith 12/02/07
  137.   mugrabi bridge 02:11  |  Vi 12/02/07
  138.   Bill. get ur facts right 02:34  |  notsmart 12/02/07
  139.   Muslim terror in a more subtle manner 02:35  |  Dave from Chicago 12/02/07
  140.   For a religion of peace 02:35  |  Steve 12/02/07
  141.   What is connection between Tosefta and Tosefet in Hebrew? 02:37  |  Vittorio 12/02/07
  142.   Problem of muslim supremacy 02:38  |  Steve 12/02/07
  143.   Tosefta -- I wouldn`t equate the two 02:38  |  bbl 12/02/07
  144.   Haaretz.My post to #78 Tosefta.Please.READ AND DO ACCORDINGLY... 02:52  |  Kath` 12/02/07
  145.   digs,lies and the Mugrabi bridge 03:13  |  simone 12/02/07
  146.   digs,lies and the Mugrabi bridge 03:18  |  simon 12/02/07
  147.   digs,lies and the Mugrabi bridge 03:20  |  simon 12/02/07
  148.   #7 Bill, so, is your God... 03:43  |  Maureen Ann 12/02/07
  149.   psalm # 14 04:08  |  dubious 12/02/07
  150.   Temple and Mosque denials (Bbl #130) 04:11  |  Tosefta 12/02/07
  151.   psalm # 52 04:14  |  dubious 12/02/07
  152.   #7 ultra:TempleMt. the "threshing field" of Araunah the Jebusite. 05:11  |  OT 12/02/07
  153.   For Jeff Northridge on non-Jewish/Christian 05:20  |  Ed 12/02/07
  154.   Al-Aqsa (the farthest) is truly meant to be in Earth`s middle 05:24  |  OT 12/02/07
  155.   lies 05:55  |  Shmuelshachor 12/02/07
  156.   The muslim has as much right to claim Jerusalem as Budapest. 06:00  |  Joseph 12/02/07
  157.   next time we`ll hear moses... 07:10  |  maria 12/02/07
  158.   # 17 07:29  |  Zuriel 12/02/07
  159.   #17 lebanese admirer....moses did not lead the jews to the... 07:30  |  maria 12/02/07
  160.   Disconnected from reality 08:30  |  Ben Azai 12/02/07
  161.   Warped malevolent beings 08:35  |  Sherlock Holmes 12/02/07
  162.   Muslim brother, Jewish cousin 10:12  |  Tareq 12/02/07
  163.   Abu Firas Alqudsi NO 16 10:17  |  Abraham 12/02/07
  164.   Abu Firas Alqudsi NO 16 11:22  |  kate 12/02/07
  165.   Jews incharge of Israel 11:37  |  kate 12/02/07
  166.   muslims and the truth 11:41  |  existance mohammed 12/02/07
  167.   re: a lesson in history 11:46  |  kate 12/02/07
  168.   The truth behind the Cartoon riots 12:10  |  Alicia 12/02/07
  169.   #162 TAREQ; renounce violence and we´ll serve the SAME G-D again! 12:33  |  Alicia 12/02/07
  170.   Shmuelshachor 18:38  |  shmuellavan 12/02/07
  171.   to tareq: We both worship same G-d 23:42  |  Avrom 12/02/07
  172.   Tosefta #150 -- OK, i can agree with that 06:26  |  bbl 13/02/07
  173.   Tareq #162 -- some Jews know it 06:42  |  bbl 13/02/07
  174.   religious claptrap 06:21  |  athiest 14/02/07
  175.   Islamic "Chutzpah"! 10:53  |  Nils 14/02/07
  176.   Believers can believe in everything 19:13  |  student 14/02/07
  177.   Can you prove it? 22:04  |  Abu 15/02/07
  178.   Abu Firas enough already! 23:17  |  sg 23/02/07
  179.   God is Love for those wh serve Him 19:38  |  HERMAN 14/03/07
  180.   to alicia quoting the quran like a jihadist 08:50  |  bored wt this s*** 16/01/08
  181.   The Old Temple Site 23:20  |  Ja 21/01/08
  182.   Digs and Lies 14:44  |  Elliot 27/09/09
  183.   Islam, Jewish Temple, and Roman Empire 19:49  |  Touchmenot 27/09/09
  184.   #42- Digs, lies and the Mugrabi bridge 16:39  |  R C 05/10/09
  185.   #6 You need a lesson in history. 08:49  |  David 10/10/09
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