Israel destroys Islamic archaeological sites in Silwan dig

[Falcon29]

Israel 'destroyed' Islamic archaeological sites in Silwan dig | Maan News Agency

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- The Israel Antiquities Authority has destroyed several ancient archeological sites and antiquities as a result of a controversial dig in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage said Tuesday.

The authority recently began the final stage of archaeological excavations at the site, which is located in the Wadi Silweh area only 20 meters from the walls of the Old City, the foundation said in a statement on Tuesday.

As a result of the excavations, several ancient Islamic archeological sites and antiquities have been destroyed, including a cemetery that dated back to the Abbasid caliphate.

Additionally, the dig has damaged relics that date back to the Jebusite Canaanite era in the second millenium BC, the Al-Aqsa foundation alleged.

The excavations are the continuation of an Israeli project to build a biblical park in the area alongside the City of David archaeological park, and will feature a "museum of Jewish history" and a "Jewish national park."

The excavation site measures around six dunams (1.5 acres) and runs 20 meters deep in some places.

The excavations are connected by a network of tunnels that "the Israeli occupation has been digging under and around Al-Aqsa Mosque," the statement said, pointing out that the third-holiest site in Islam is located only 100 meters from the site itself.

The foundation said that the Ir David Foundation -- commonly known as Elad -- is funding the excavations as part of a plan to build a seven-story building which will serve as a Jewish cultural center.

The excavation site is located on what used to be private Palestinian land owned by the Siyam family from Silwan. The land was confiscated by Israeli authorities for the dig.

Israel frequently permits excavations and archaeological digs in East Jerusalem, specifically around the Al-Aqsa mosque and in the Silwan neighborhood, that threaten the structural integrity of Palestinian homes and holy sites in the area.

Critics charge that the digs search for ancient Jewish ruins at the expense of existing homes, and that Israeli archaeologists often ignore and even damage non-Jewish artifacts.

In 1967, Israel demolished the 800-year-old Moroccan Quarter of Jerusalem, displacing 650 Palestinians and destroying numerous mosques, homes, and holy sites, in order to build a plaza in front of the Western Wall.

Israel also evicted around 6,000 Palestinians from nearby areas in order to massively expand the city's historical Jewish Quarter.

The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.

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@BLACK EAGLE @MooshMoosh @Umair Nawaz @hussain0216 @Developereo @islamrules @Frogman

Also read the last few paragraphs to hear things you never know of regarding the pariah state.

 

[Falcon29]

Of course Arab nations can't do anything but look past this, same with Muslim nations.

 

[Fukuoka]

Ask your zionist muslims brothers who invade everybody, why arabs can't react

 

[500]

Even Palestinian agency Maan puts "destroys" in inverted commas " ". Its just baseless claim.

 

[Ceylal]

Of course Arab nations can't do anything but look past this, same with Muslim nations.

Poor uprooted.. Don't you think, its time to write to the overseer of the Quds...Or the current doesn't pass between larvae?

 

[Falcon29]

Even Palestinian agency Maan puts "destroys" in inverted commas " ". Its just baseless claim.

You and the two Jewish extremists that thanked your posts are in denial, there are photos and clear statements on what was destroyed.

Poor uprooted.. Don't you think, its time to write to the overseer of the Quds...Or the current doesn't pass between larvae?

?????? You really need to lay off those crazy drugs you're taking.

 

[Oriel]

They based their story on this piece:

Al Aqsa Foundation gives no pictures of desecrated sites, just some photos from afar.
Let me remind you it's the same foundation that claimed Jewish relics weren't real:

This just goes to show you their reliability.
They are blatant liars.

 

[Falcon29]

Oriel, we weren't expecting Israelis to come here and do anything else other than what you're doing. Yet, you can't provide evidence contrary to what happened. Nobody is allowed to see what's going on under there except the European Jewish people themselves of course.

 

[Solomon2]

Thursday, March 20, 2014
Al Arabiya and Maan again show they have no journalistic integrity

Al Arabiya:

Several ancient archeological sites were “destroyed” after the Israeli Antiquities Authority conducted controversial digs in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian news agency reported Wednesday.

The West Bank and East Jerusalem are part of the Palestinian territories, which have been internationally recognized since 1967.

Maan News reported the Palestinian al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage as saying that Israel started the final stage of archaeological excavations at the site, which is located in the Wadi Silwan area only 20 meters from the walls of the Old City.

The dig reportedly destroyed a cemetery that dated back to the Abbasid caliphate and damaged relics that date back to the Jebusite Canaanite era in the second millennium BC, according to the Palestinian al-Aqsa Foundation.
​

So without any critical thinking, Ma'an reproduces a press release by an organization known to make things up, and Al Arabiya re-reports it - so now within a day we may see Reuters or AFP making the same report.

What evidence does the Al Aqsa Foundation have? None. Their website shows some photos of the area taken from a distance. No photos of graves, no quoting of experts who have seen this supposed "destruction," no evidence of the artifacts supposedly destroyed - nada.

In the past, this same foundation has stated flatly that every single piece of archaeological evidence of Jews in the area in Biblical times is fake. They've claimed that potholes and small landslides from heavy rains are really the result of Israeli digs - and brought those charges to the UN. For years they have charged that Israel plans to destroy the Al Aqsa mosque, often giving dates that have come and gone.

Not one Arab media outlet has ever, to my knowledge, pointed out that the Al Aqsa Foundation is simply an Islamist organization, associated with infamous Sheikh Raed Salah, that makes things up and issues press releases daily about supposed Israeli crimes.

Quoting an organization with a long track record of provable lies, without mentioning that fact, is not journalism. It is incitement, and it is deliberate.

 

[Falcon29]

^^^

ElderofZion blog, you guys really could care less about how many times you lie and yet you preach and brag about Jewish ethics all the time. You support an immoral occupation yet preach about Jewish ethics. Israeli officials would surely go out and publicly announce they destroyed Islamic artifacts.

Even this whole digging is absurd, eventually the whole area is going to collapse and that's what you people want, what shameful immoral people.

 

[Solomon2]

Oriel, we weren't expecting Israelis to come here and do anything else other than what you're doing. Yet, you can't provide evidence contrary to what happened.

You're getting rather shrill and desperate, aren't you Hazzy? Relying on repetition, labeling, quantity of posts - and now challenging people to prove a negative, else it should be accepted as gospel!

You have a lot to be ashamed and embarrassed about, Hazzy. It doesn't have to be that way. You can choose differently. Why don't you? In our last discussion you said you wouldn't because being pro-Israel wouldn't make you any better off. Did you mean materially or spiritually? If spiritually, then you reject the idea that truth is a high form of worship; if materially, that implies all the Pakistanis here have to do to help solve the Arab-Israeli conflict is to withhold support from Palestinian Arabs so they have less means to execute terror among themselves and Israelis and gain an economic incentive to seek peace with their Jewish neighbors.

 

[Falcon29]

I'm the desperate one yet you're posting a Zionist extremist blog that nobody cares about or reads.

 

[Albatross]

@Solomon2 @500 Would you guys let the foundation representative go in those tunnels to get the real time photographs? No so all they can do is to provide photos from a distance. But nobody can convince you guys as you people are in habit of distorting truth without realizing what goes around it comes around.

BTW what you guys are doing excavating beneath al-aqsa mosque for nearly 5 decades now? What are you looking for Ark of convenient or want to demolish( Allah Forbid) Al-aqsa by weakening its foundation whatever is your aim I dont see you guys succeeding in that and your futile efforts of decades is a proof of that so keep dreaming and attempting there is never gonna be a Jewish praying site on temple mount with the grace of Allah Almighty.

 

[Solomon2]

^^^

ElderofZion blog, you guys really could care less about how many times you lie -

You've never found a lie there yet, nor is there one in Elder's post. Learn by example, Hazzy, not by indoctrination.

and yet you preach and brag about Jewish ethics all the time. You support an immoral occupation yet preach about Jewish ethics.

You've retreated considerably here, saying that it's all about the "immoral occupation" - a claim you repeat over and over, only to be debunked. Frustrating, isn't it?

Israeli officials would surely go out and publicly announce they destroyed Islamic artifacts.

Throwing in a line of utter confusion and absurdity does not distract me.

Even this whole digging is absurd, eventually the whole area is going to collapse and that's what you people want, what shameful immoral people.

So you're covering up for your fears, and you don't want to admit your fears: instead, you accuse OTHERS of misconduct.

 

[Jaanbaz]

Biblical Park? are there gonna be swings and rides like Noah's ark etc?