Manipulating_the_history_of

MANIPULATING JERUSALEM’S HISTORY

Immediately after Israeli soldiers occupied Arab East Jerusalem back in 1967, the Hebrew University, the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs, and the Department of Antiquities collectively and individually began a massive excavation campaign in Arab East Jerusalem in a bid to find and locate traces of Jewish existence from the so called 'Temple Mount Era.'

The fact of the matter is that almost thirty years of excavations did not reveal anything Jewish, no tangible evidence of theirs was unearthed. Much to their disappointment, what surfaced from their underground excavations turned out to be more Muslim palaces, courts and mosques. Other excavations revealed archeological ruins belonging to the Romans, Greeks and Canaanites.

Faced with these facts, successive Israeli governments decided to use the current balance of power in the city, being at the moment in their favor, to distort what they can in terms of historical facts and to present the world with falsified accounts of history orchestrated in a way the world would accept as a fait accompli.

They began international and local media campaigns aimed at convincing others and themselves of an authentic original historical existence in a kingdom which originated in Silwan 3000 years ago. It is interesting to note that Dame Kathleen Kenyon, a British archeologist, and her teams helped and supported by local Palestinians from Silwan, worked for almost a decade in the 1960's excavating sites in many chosen parts in the city, in search of this so called kingdom. The area they call Ophel located south east of Jerusalem's old city walls was excavated deep into the ground. Dame Kenyon's excavations did not produce anything of significance to support the Israeli claim.

Professor Mazar of the Hebrew University began his own excavations on what Jews thought was the extension of the wailing wall. To their shocking experience, a large Omayyad palace and other Muslim archeological remains were discovered. However, out of the 'goodness of their hearts and to preserve these Islamic remains' Mazar and the archeologists of the Hebrew University decided to forgo digging through the Islamic palaces to reach the 'undoubtedly rich' Israelite remains below. (See Jerusalem Post Magazine 1.9.95)

Another biblical myth used as proof of their presence in Silwan is the tunnel connecting the pools of Silwan. They claim the tunnel was dug by the Hebrews, and to prove that, they claim a hundred years ago a boy discovered a stone with Hebrew inscription in the tunnel, but to their 'disappointment' again, they say this stone which they describe as "the largest ever found from the biblical period" was removed by the Ottomans to Turkey (See Jerusalem Post Magazine 1.9.95) In other words their evidence to this claim is conveniently not there, yet they go ahead with their decision to place what they term a 'replica' in the so called original location within the tunnel, and at its entrance, attributing the digging of the tunnel to the Hebrews.

To give credibility to these claims, and to translate the ingenious falsified historical accounts of the city in order for them to obtain worldwide authenticity, they decided to manipulate the history of Jerusalem as they want it to be seen by the world, and to present it in a way acceptable to contemporary thinking of everyday people. They planned the inauguration of the 'Jerusalem 3000 birthday' - with a fireworks display together with bombastic political statements - which took place on Monday September 4th 1995, in addition to the inauguration of the archeological park or the "Valley of the King" encompassing the Jewish version of the history of Jerusalem the Israelis want to present to the world. A Jerusalem Post front page headline reads, "Fireworks show tells the tale of one city." - the tale in question being the myth, the Jews and the Israeli government want to portray, that “ Jerusalem is a Jewish city, united and living in peace and harmony under Jewish rule.”

Jerusalem is not a Jewish city, despite the biblical myth implanted in some minds. Nothing tangible has been found to give credibility to these claims. Israeli occupation authorities have never ceased their clandestine excavations underneath the Aqsa Mosque conducted by the Israeli Department of Antiquities. These excavations underneath the Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock 'the third most holy shrine in Islam' are ultimately designed to weaken the mosques' foundations, causing them in the long run to cave in and collapse. These diggings and excavations are taking place in many areas, the most dangerous of all are:-

The excavations taking place alongside the Western Wall beginning at the most southwestern corner of the mosque reaching northwards to El Omariyeh School.
The tunnel dug underneath the mosque starting at the wailing wall and ending immediately underneath the water well inside the grounds of the Aqsa Mosque.
The tunnel leading from the Convent of the Sisters of Zion (better known as Ecce Homo Church) on the via Delorosa leading south towards the mosque.
The tunnel leading form the most southern part of Jerusalem wall to Suleiman's Stables underneath the Aqsa Mosque.

In addition, official Israeli policies conducted in Olmert's "The Mayor" municipality desecrated the Islamic burial place in West Jerusalem 'Ma'man Allah' (God's place of safety). The area of this burial place was 250,000 square meters, and most of this land has been used as building plots. At the moment the Sheraton Plaza Hotel, Supersol supermarket, Beit Agron building and the adjacent car parking lot are built on this Islamic Waqf owned land which was used by Muslims until 1948 as their burial place in Jerusalem. Even the dead are not safe here as scores of Muslim graves have been desecrated, moved, destroyed, and damaged, many have been plastered with concrete to obliterate their Arabic inscriptions. What remains of this cemetery is being used as an open park, very few Muslim graves can be seen around this cemetery-turned-park ‘courtesy’ of Olmert, the mayor.

Above ground, leading Israeli right-wing elements and Jewish groups encouraged and supported indirectly by Israeli official policy in Jerusalem are trying to force their way in the grounds of the Aqsa Mosque to conduct Jewish group prayers there. On the evening of May 28th 1995, more than 100 Jews lead by Yehud Etzion 'a conspirator to kill and maim Palestinian mayors in the 1980's, tried to force entry from the western entrance into the mosque. The Waqf guards, supported by those at prayer in the Al Aqsa Mosque confronted this group and foiled their attempt to enter, many more attempts by similar groups have taken place. The vigilant eyes of the guards and the Palestinian people of Arab East Jerusalem are determined to stop these groups from achieving their objective.

In 1969, an Australian Jew was convicted of setting the Al Aqsa Mosque on fire, in which the southern face of the mosque together with Salah El Din minaret and prayer place was burned to the ground.

Amid all this, one may wonder about the United States position towards the question of Palestine, and may ask, what is the current U.S. policy regarding Jerusalem?