Contact:
Sr.Ruth Lautt, O.P. Esq.
(212) 870-2320

(New York, N.Y.) February 15, 2007– Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East (“Fair Witness”) is deeply concerned over the biased and inflammatory reaction to Israel’s recent salvage excavations on the Temple Mount.   

The Israel Antiquities Authority had begun salvage excavations in the Jerusalem Archeological Park, with the intention of building a permanent Mugrabi Gate ramp to replace a temporary wooden structure which had been declared  hazardous.  In response to the excavation some Palestinians had begun rioting, throwing rocks at a tour bus and Israeli soldiers.

The work was taking place some 180 feet away from the actual site of the Temple Mount and had apparently been coordinated with all relevant parties, including the Islamic Waqf and the Jordanian government.  “Anyone who has actually been to this site knows that the ramp is nowhere near either the Dome of the Rock or the Al Aqsa Mosque,” says Sr. Ruth Lautt, National Director of Fair Witness.  “In reality, these excavations in no way threatened either the Islamic or Jewish holy sites.”

 “The Mugrabi ramp,” explains Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton, the Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College, “leads up to the Temple Mount/Harem al-Sharif, and provides access for non-Muslims to this area.  I can’t see that its construction would in any way affect the Al-Aqsa, except to shore up moorings on the southwestern side of the Temple Mount, which would be in the best interests of any structure on top.”

Why then has Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) a self-described  “coalition of 21 public policy offices of national churches and agencies . . .” falsely asserted that the excavations “appear[ed] to violate the sanctity of this profoundly holy site”?  CMEP also called for U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, David Welch, to pressure Israel to halt excavations at the site on the basis that otherwise “violent protests [would] break out in Israel.” 

“Unfortunately this sort of irresponsible and inciteful language can only encourage violence and increase the public’s misunderstanding of the situation,” laments Rev. Chilton.

 “CMEP does no service by spreading disinformation on the excavation,” says Rev. Dr. Peter Pettit, Director of the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College.  “In fact by calling upon the Israelis to halt a project designed to protect public safety and simultaneously neglecting to call upon the Palestinians to cease rioting, they do a decided disservice.”

CMEP also seems to stress only the importance of the site to Muslims by specifying the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa mosque (Islam’s third holiest sites) but failing to mention that it is also the site of Solomon’s Temple, Judaism’s holiest site,  referring instead merely to “two biblical temples.”  “One can’t help but notice this discrepancy,” adds Rev. James Loughran, S.A., Director of the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute.  “CMEP concludes their appeal to Mr. Welch by recalling their recent visit to Jerusalem and remarking upon the significance of the site to ‘our Muslim brothers and sisters.’  This significance should be noted and deeply respected.  But what about the significance of the site to CMEP’s Jewish brothers and sisters?”

“The exploitation by CMEP of what appears to have been an innocent attempt by the State of Israel  to repair the Mugrabi ramp coupled with the downplaying of the significance of the Temple Mount to Jews is deplorable” says Rev. Dr. Pettit.  “Shouldn’t our role as Christian peacemakers be to restore calm to the situation by explaining the facts and encouraging a peaceful return to a project intended only to provide safety to visitors to a site holy to all three religions”?