The conflict between Israel Police and the Israel Antiquities Authority seems to be reaching new levels of disagreement as the latter accuses the former of “trying to dump the blame in our lap”.

While Jewish organizations concerned with the Muslim occupation of Har Habayis shouted, realizing the Muslim Waqf was transporting hundreds and hundreds of trucks of earth from the holy site, Israel Police and others agencies remained silent, unwilling to challenge the Islamic occupation of the site. The Temple Mount Faithful is one of the organizations that has repeatedly turned to state agencies seeking to stop the illegal Islamic construction, but the response was one of nonfeasance. Yehuda Etzion and his Chai Vekayam organization was among the audible voices crying in defense of the Holy Site, but their pleas went unheeded.

Experts are now in agreement, including the anti-religious Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), that the earth dumped by the Waqf contained thousands of artifacts dating back to the Beis HaMikdash, now gone forever. The Temple Mount Faithful and supporters have explained over the years the Waqf Authority was working hard to eradicate any trace of a Beis HaMikdash in the hope of legitimizing the fabricated Islamic claims to the site.

IAA officials accuse police of opting to ignore High Court rulings on the matter, preferring not to engage the Waqf Authority in a confrontation.

Israel Police is not taking the accusations without responding, pointing an accusing finger at the IAA. Police officials report that all the construction work and removal of earth was done under the watchful eye of both agencies, and for as long as IAA inspectors did not object, it was not the place of police to intervene.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)