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Safeguarding Jerusalem
By Yehuda Ben Meir

It's become very clear that the clash over the construction work near the Mugrabi Gate is not a struggle against the archaeological excavations or the construction of a bridge, but part of a broader campaign for the control of Jerusalem. After all, this construction work has no connection to the Al-Aqsa Mosque nor any effect on it.

Indeed, even among some of the Arab MKs - those same leaders mobilizing the war and the incitement against the construction - there were those who admitted, some through winks and nods and others more directly, that whether the work really threatens the mosque does not matter. In their view, Israel has no sovereignty in the Old City and has no right to carry out any sort of construction work in the Temple Mount environs.

At the root of this war is the intensifying effort by the Palestinians and their supporters, from within and without Israel, to deny any link or rights of the Jewish people to the Temple Mount or to Jerusalem, and thus to undermine not only our right to sovereignty in Jerusalem, but also Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.
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We have no choice but to succeed in this struggle, and possess all the possible elements for such an outcome. The way to succeed is to show and prove, by means of complete transparency, that the deceiving claims and baseless incitements are nothing more than false propaganda.

The government acted along these lines, launching a Web site with real-time, round-the-clock video footage of the excavations. Israel has finally learned to utilize the Internet. And indeed, the disorderly conduct of Sheikh Ra'ad Salah and the remonstrations of Khaled Meshal and the Islamic organizations are not having any significant effect in the broader world, and their anti-Israel campaign has failed to take off.

As part of this important effort, the prime minister agreed, during an official visit to Turkey - a large Muslim country, with strategic ties of utmost importance to Israel - to meet the request of the Turkish prime minister and allow a delegation from there to evaluate the conditions on the ground. This was a smart, wise and appropriate move on the part of the prime minister, and there is no justification for the criticism against him.

One needn't be a former deputy foreign minister or a seasoned diplomat to appreciate the diplomatic significance and the implications of such a move; let's not forget that the real dispute is over the sovereignty of Jerusalem.

The fact that the Turkish prime minister is sending a delegation to this site - near the Western Wall and the Temple Mount - following an invitation by the prime minister of Israel, is a clear expression of support of Israel's position. After all, this is not a United Nations delegation nor one imposed on Israel by an international body, but an authorized delegation of Turkey to Israel (and not of the Palestinian Authority or Jordan).

Israel really has nothing to hide. So there should be no surprise that the Arab MKs responded with anger and frustration, demanding: "What business does Turkey have with this issue?" They understood what many MKs on the right have not: that this is a diplomatic gain for Israel and a wise way of conducting an important campaign.
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  1.   east jerusalem is of no use to us 10:10  |  flashman 20/02/07
  2.   THE PROPERTY IN DISPUTE CAN`T BE TOUCHED UNILATERALLY 10:16  |  indrajaya 20/02/07
  3.   Pragmatism will win over extremism 10:48  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/02/07
  4.   Indrajaya: Muslim squatters on our Temple Mount 10:52  |  Yacov 20/02/07
  5.   Jerusalem must remain Israeli... 10:59  |  Paul Henzen 20/02/07
  6.   Muslims do not respect Bahá`i holy sites... 11:04  |  Paul Henzen 20/02/07
  7.   indrajaya: There`s No Dispute Here: See The PLO Charter 11:15  |  Yishai Kohen 20/02/07
  8.   #6 Paul: Nor do Muslims respect your holy sites 11:52  |  Yacov 20/02/07
  9.   # 4, YACOV 11:53  |  indrajaya 20/02/07
  10.   TIME TO REMOVE FABLES FROM HISTORY 11:56  |  paul harris 20/02/07
  11.   #9 Indrajaya: No UN or other charter allows Muslim theft 12:04  |  Yacov 20/02/07
  12.   Paul Henzen 12:13  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/02/07
  13.   THE EXISTANCE OF ISRAEL MAKES KORAN AND MUHAMMED A LIE ?? 12:27  |  Bill. 20/02/07
  14.   # 11, YACOV 12:32  |  indrajaya 20/02/07
  15.   # 11, YACOV 12:40  |  indrajaya 20/02/07
  16.   # 5 Paul Henzen 12:40  |  Edith 20/02/07
  17.   flashman the squatters there are of no use to us. 12:44  |  Steven 20/02/07
  18.   #14 Indrajaya: Your lies, lies, lies 12:48  |  Yacov 20/02/07
  19.   ARAB lies start a riot.Whats new?The Hebron massacre started the 12:57  |  PETER SM 20/02/07
  20.   # 18, YACOV 13:04  |  indrajaya 20/02/07
  21.   To Bill 13:05  |  Fatih 20/02/07
  22.   INDIRAJAYA BENDING THE TRUTH ON JENIN&TUTU 13:05  |  PETER SM 20/02/07
  23.   THEArabs trashed theJerusalem Jewish holy sites&graves pre``67 13:25  |  PETER SM 20/02/07
  24.   # 12 Chris Linthwaite - we do not recognize Al Aqsa 13:28  |  Paul Henzen 20/02/07
  25.   * 21 Fatih 13:35  |  Bill. 20/02/07
  26.   # 8 Yacov - You`re so right! 13:36  |  Paul Henzen 20/02/07
  27.   # 22, PETRE MS 13:38  |  indrajaya 20/02/07
  28.   #20 Indrajaya: No UN resolutions will justify Muslim crimes 14:01  |  Yacov 20/02/07
  29.   The discussion about Jerusalem is living proof...... 14:01  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/02/07
  30.   world class t v documentaries 14:09  |  Joseph 20/02/07
  31.   Education... 14:14  |  Ben Azai 20/02/07
  32.   INDIRAJAYA.Enclosed UN report vs Pal "claims" in Jenin.Nice try 14:19  |  PETER SM 20/02/07
  33.   # 28 SWISS (DINO) 14:22  |  indrajaya 20/02/07
  34.   Who owns what? 14:22  |  Sherlock Holmes 20/02/07
  35.   Why Not Follow the Saudi Model and Level Al-Aqsa ? 14:26  |  Klaudia 20/02/07
  36.   # 33 indrajaya 14:40  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/02/07
  37.   # 28, YACOV 14:44  |  indrajaya 20/02/07
  38.   #14, Indrajaya 14:51  |  JB 20/02/07
  39.   Indrajaya: Islam`s call for the destruction of Israel and Jews 14:56  |  Yacov 20/02/07
  40.   Calling All Muslims and Muslim Apologists ! Hypocritical Cowards 15:05  |  Klaudia 20/02/07
  41.   Ben Meir Is Being Disengenuous 15:15  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/02/07
  42.   # 39, JACOV 15:19  |  indrajaya 20/02/07
  43.   Ben Meir Is Disingenuous on another matter here 15:22  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/02/07
  44.   # 26 Paul Henzen 15:25  |  Edith 20/02/07
  45.   Yakov, Hitler is not everywhere. 15:32  |  Edith 20/02/07
  46.   Indrajaya: Again, your lies and distortions 15:41  |  Yacov 20/02/07
  47.   HOLLOW ARAB COMPLAINT 15:47  |  abram 20/02/07
  48.   prophet muhammad was just a dreamer.. 15:58  |  maria 20/02/07
  49.   To Yacov: Suffering from mental retardation? 16:01  |  Fatih 20/02/07
  50.   # 46, YACOV 16:03  |  indrajaya 20/02/07
  51.   Yacov to Indirajaya 16:12  |  fk 20/02/07
  52.   Steven to flashman 16:20  |  fk 20/02/07
  53.   fk .Sweetheart Pal have a lot more than they gave the Jews 16:28  |  PETER SM 20/02/07
  54.   To indrajaya and Fatih 17:17  |  Klaudia 20/02/07
  55.   fk # 51 The Annexation of East Jerusalem 17:26  |  Jeff Northridge 20/02/07
  56.   Truncating the past 17:34  |  Tosefta 20/02/07
  57.   hegira 622 after jc 17:44  |  jean marie 20/02/07
  58.   Yes, Abram #47 17:45  |  Polybios 20/02/07
  59.   52 and lies 17:49  |  Steven 20/02/07
  60.   Yaakov and the status quo 17:56  |  Polybios 20/02/07
  61.   fk # 52 The Right of Return 18:04  |  Jeff Northridge 20/02/07
  62.   Dear, Paul Henzen of the Netherlands 18:09  |  Akiva Patysh, Tzioni 20/02/07
  63.   polybios and the Temple Mount Faithful on Status Quo 18:15  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/02/07
  64.   Swiss(Dino) 18:25  |  ODP 20/02/07
  65.   Dear, Paul Henzen of the Netherlands, part 2 18:34  |  Akiva Patysh, Tzioni 20/02/07
  66.   This land is your land! 18:36  |  Danny 20/02/07
  67.   That`s where we differ, Yaakov 18:41  |  Polybios 20/02/07
  68.   We have no choice but to succeed in this struggle? 18:46  |  Fritz 20/02/07
  69.   Paul #5; Akiva #62; The real crux of the matter 18:59  |  Polybios 20/02/07
  70.   # 64 ODP 19:03  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/02/07
  71.   polybios on rights and their exercise #67 19:09  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/02/07
  72.   Tellme, polybios will you agree to permit..#69 19:26  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/02/07
  73.   #61 Jeff Northridge on founding history of Israel 19:28  |  Pssd Off American 20/02/07
  74.   Yaakov #71 19:32  |  ODP 20/02/07
  75.   Swiss(Dino) 19:36  |  ODP 20/02/07
  76.   # Edith - You are blind! 19:37  |  Paul Henzen 20/02/07
  77.   Pssd off American is correct 19:41  |  Marilyn 20/02/07
  78.   Yaakov #71 19:44  |  Polybios 20/02/07
  79.   # 35 Klaudia. re:Saudi model???? 19:49  |  Kath` 20/02/07
  80.   To Jeff Northridge 19:53  |  Lee 20/02/07
  81.   ODP, just let me warn you #74 19:55  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/02/07
  82.   #72 Yaakov 19:56  |  Polybios 20/02/07
  83.