The Temple Mount (for Jews) or Al-Harem Al-Sharif (which means the Noble Sanctuary, for Muslims), represents one of the main sticking point of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict because of its religious significance for Muslims and for Jews alike...

...but just let us ignore religion for a moment and talk reality

No-one can argue with the fact that Al-Harem Al-Sharif with all its mosques and religious centre, is there as it has been for the last 13 centuries since its conception by Muslims Caliphs between 636 and 705 AD. Muslims want sovereignty over it as they always had for the last 1300 years, except when the Crusaders were around, or more recently, when and since Israel occupied Arab East Jerusalem in June 1967.

Jews claim that their temple once stood on that same patch of land where the Muslim temple is standing today, but was destroyed by one Roman Emperor some 2000 years ago. The Israeli politicians are saying that their aspirations are not to destroy the Muslim shrine (Like the aspirations of those arrogant crazy right wing fanatical Jews), but they just want sovereignty over it so they can visit it and have a spiritual and peaceful walk any time they want, just like Mr. Sharon.

Let us not make a mistake or ignore the fact that the Jewish plan is to destroy Al-Harem Al-Sharif to build a Jewish temple in its place...and this is genuine reality...because for Jews, there is no sense in having Jerusalem without a Jewish temple.

The Talmud says: "If someone is praying outside the Land of Israel, he should direct his heart in the direction of Israel. If the person is praying in Israel, he should direct his heart toward Jerusalem. Those in Jerusalem should direct their hearts to the Temple."

"The re-building will begin when the Messiah comes. This Third Temple will be on the Temple Mount, exactly where it previously stood. In fact, Maimonides writes that one sign that the Messiah is the real Messiah will be when he re-builds the Temple on the Temple Mount...

... Today, the Jewish People are striving to return to a level whereby they will merit once again to have the Temple. It can be rebuilt at any moment. The Midrash says that the Third Temple has already been constructed in heaven, and merely awaits our preparations here on earth. Furthermore, in every generation an individual exists with the capacity to step into the role of the Messiah."  Rabbi Shraga Simmons,based on "The Western Wall," published by the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Still reality...

... Several British, German then Israeli excavations were carried out to find all but Jewish ruins, what is vital to note (because it’s a very perilous state of affairs), is that the foremost aim of the Israeli excavations was not principally to search for ruins, but was to destabilise and weaken the Muslim shrine...and this is true reality. 

• The First stage of the Israeli excavations began in 1967 (just after the occupation of Arab East Jerusalem and Al-Harem Al-Sharif) and finished in 1968.  It included 70 metres of the lower part of the southern wall and the women's mosque, at a depth of 14 metres, which posed a great danger for the neighbouring houses and buildings. These excavations were financed by the Hebraic University and carried out by a team led by Professor Benjamin Meizar. They found only Muslim, Roman and Byzantine ruins.
  
  

• The Second stage of Israeli excavations were completed in 1969 and included 80 metres of the wall of Al-Harem Al-Sharif. It began where the first stage left off and extended north until Al Magharbeh Gate. It ran under a lot of Islamic buildings such as the "Honourable Corner" and the Iman Al Shafi' Centre. These buildings sustained important cracks in the process. They found three Umayyad (Muslims) Palaces.
  
  

• The Third Stage of the excavations began in 1970 and were finished in 1974. They were resumed in 1975 and lasted up till 1988 and included the area under the Legal Court, the oldest Islamic building in Jerusalem, passing through the area under five Gates of the Old City, namely Al Qattaneen, Ala'aedeen, Al Basry, Al Mat-hereh, Al Selseleh and Al Hadeed, at length of 180 metres. It ran under a lot of houses, facilities and mosques, as well as Qaitby minaret, Souk Al Qattaneen and some schools at a depth of 10-14 metres and a length of 400 metres. This resulted in several buildings cracking such as the Ottoman mosque, Al Jawharia School, Al Manjakia School and the lower part of the Islamic court, which was changed to a synagogue. The Israelis declared that they had discovered the path, measuring 500 metres, originally discovered by the German General Conrad Chek in March 1887. They made a tunnel between Al Ghawanmeh Gate and Al Mujahedeen Way or "the Passion Way" to reach the Roman canal, but still no Jewish ruins.
  
  

• The Fourth and Fifth Stages: Excavations began in 1973 and continued till 1974 and included the area under the southeastern part of Al-Aqsa Mosque at a length of 80 metres and penetrating the southern wall of Al-Harem Al-Sharif, which leads to the Mosque itself, at a depth of 20 metres. It ran under Omar's Mosque, three doors of the lower porches and the southeast corridors, creating a very dangerous situation.
  
  

• The Sixth Stage: Excavations began in 1977 in the middle of the eastern wall, between Al Saideh Mariam Gate and the northeast corner, endangering the Islamic cemetery. In addition, Israel confiscated a lot of land in order to establish the Israeli National Park.
  
  

• The Seventh Stage: These excavations were aimed at deepening the area of Al Buraq Wall adjacent to the Western Wall to include several neighbouring buildings such as the old Islamic court, Al Tankaria School, the library of Al Khaledia and more than 35 houses inhabited by 250 Palestinians.
  
  

• The Eighth Stage: Excavations began in 1967 as a continuation of the fourth and fifth stages and included the area behind the walls and the southern area. Its purpose was to explore the burials of the kings of Israel in David's city. The process caused a lot of cracks in the southern walls of Al-Aqsa Mosque; this has been a controversial issue between Natoury Karta and the Ministry of Religions.
  
  

• The Ninth Stage: Excavations began in August 1981. Israeli Forces began a new stage of excavations to re-open the tunnel discovered by the English Colonel Warren in 1876; this tunnel is located between Al Selseleh Gate and Al Qattaneen Gate, below Al Mat-hereh Gate. It ran the length of 25 metres and a width of 6 metres, up to Qaitby fountain. These excavations caused a lot of cracks, so the Islamic Department "Awqaf" interfered and stopped them by blocking the entrance with concrete on 29 August 1981. However, it was re-opened on 24 September 1996, on the eve of a Hebraic holiday.
  
  
  

Before we continue, we would like to re-emphasize that there has never been a single material proof, (material not religious), that a Jewish temple ever existed, let alone on that same plot of land where the Al-Harem Al-Sharif stands today, and please if you have any evidence otherwise, we'll be more than happy to publish it. israelonline@caramail.com

Let us talk Religion:

Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is within Al-Harem Al-Sharif (the Muslim Temple), owes its holiness in Islamic Faith as the first Qibla (House of Worship) and its being the third mosque after Al Ka'ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and the Prophet Mohammed's Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Its significance has been reinforced by the incident of Al Isra'a and Al Mi'raj (the night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and the ascent to the Heavens by Prophet Mohammed) as shown in the Koran: "Glory to God who did take his Servant (Mohammed), for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque (Al Ka'ba, Mecca) to the Farthest Mosque (Al-Aqsa, Jerusalem) whose precincts We did bless-in order that We might show him some of Our Signs, for He (God) is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things)."  Chapter "Children of Israel"

In addition, Prophet Mohammed says: "The saddles (War) should not be prepared except for three mosques: Al Masjidul Haram (Al Ka'ba), the Prophet's Mosque, and Al-Aqsa."

Moreover, the Prophet replied when he was asked about the history of the building of Al-Aqsa by saying: "It was built immediately after Al Masjidul Haram."  The Prophet added: "The prayers at home are one-fold, at a local mosque is 25-fold, at a central mosque is 500-fold, and at Al Aqsa is 5,000-fold."

Salomon Temple, the Jewish Temple, is also called Mount Moriah. This is the spot where Abraham bound Isaac, and where Jacob dreamt of the ladder reaching to heaven. The Sages explain that the name "Moriah" is actually a play on words: "Moriah is the place from which instruction (horah) goes forth, from which the fears of heaven (yirah) goes forth; from which light (orah) goes forth."

The Temple was the main conduit for the flow of Godliness into this world. When the Temple stood, there was respect for God, for His Torah and for each other. There was no doubt about God's existence. There were no atheists. Every body acknowledged one God and understood the genius of His laws. The world was filled with awe of God and love of God.

The Bible says, "And they will pray to You through the land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You chose, and the house which I have built in your name" (I Kings 8:48).

The Talmud (Brachos 32) teaches that when the Temple was destroyed,all the Gatesof Heaven were closed,except for one.That is the Gate of Tears.

The Western Wall or the Wailing Wall

Three times a day, for thousands of years, Jewish prayers from around the world have been directed toward the Temple, not towards the Wall as some are claiming. This wall represents the southwest part of Al-Harem Al-Sharif, and it is 47 metres long and 17 metres high. It has been connected with Al Isra'a (the night journey), when the Prophet Mohammed tied Al Buraq, the animal used to travel with on the journey, to this wall.

It is also called Kottel Me'marany in Hebrew, which is considered the external wall of the Salomon Temple, which had been demolished by Hadrian. It is also called the Wailing Wall because Jews used to visit it and wail and lament their past glory and grandeur... It had no religious significance, let alone religious holiness, until the 16th Century when some "idiot"....made people believe that the wall in question was a piece of the Temple, but more importantly, was holy... then, Jews from around the world started to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem at great expense just to have the chance to pray at the wall. There, they would pour their hearts out to God, beseeching him for Jewish redemption. They would water the wall with their tears and melt the stones with their kisses.

One of the conflicts between Muslims and Jews is over a part of this wall measuring 30 metres and a narrow path accessible only through the north side at Al Selseleh Gate. This gate separates the path from a complex of Arab houses and Al Buraq mosque on the south side, which was destroyed by the Israelis when they occupied the city in 1967.

There have been several skirmishes and confrontations between Palestinians and Jews because of the Jewish transgression and arrogance. The most prominent incident was the revolution of Al Buraq in 1929. The situation became aggravated, and the skirmishes spread throughout the country. The British Mandate Forces appointed a committee to investigate the case and decide the ownership of the wall. The committee carried out several investigations resulting in the Islamic identity of the wall, which was considered as a part of the Islamic property "Awqaf", including the pavement and Al Magharbeh area which was also destroyed by the Israelis when they occupied the city in 1967.

Back to the 21st century...

... In June 1967, East Jerusalem (including the Old City) was occupied by the Israeli Army. Two weeks later, Israel unilaterally annexed it and declared the city "The Eternal, United Capital of Israel". Today, Jerusalem is a city held hostage and for all Israel's talk of eternity, the international community does not recognize its jurisdiction.

Most western countries still maintain consulates in the East serving the occupied territories, as the Palestinians see East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state.

To pre-empt this, Israel has expanded the municipal boundaries to the very edges of Bethlehem to the south, and Ramallah to the north, and ringed the Arab city with three bands of settlements. These fortress-like eyesores are physical evidence of the immense damage done to the holy city in Arab East Jerusalem by current Israeli occupiers, they distort historical view, wasted its natural beauty and changed its divine character.

To further emphasize this point, in an Israeli round table discussion on architecture in Jerusalem attended by Israeli Architects and students in April 1996, Ehud Olmert, the then Israeli Mayor was accused of being blind to the ramification of ideas he bandies about. Mr. Olmert has been quoted in the press as saying he wants Jerusalem to have high-rises, to be like the 'great cities' in the West, he wants massive developments in the valley at the entrance to the city...

... Before leaving the meeting, Mr. Olmert noted the only way to expand the city is to the east, i.e. in the direction of Arab East Jerusalem.

Today the situation is:

• The Jews are talking about a temple which was destroyed by the Roman Emperor Titus in 70 AD... Whether it's true or false, they claim that it stood on the same place where Al-Harem Al-Sharif stands today. It was destroyed by the Romans, not by the Palestinians or by the Arabs, but by the Romans.
  
  

• Some seven hundred years later, the Muslims built a stunning and a significant mosque with its religious and humanitarian centres, which are now very much standing.
  
  

• 1300 years after that, the Jews are back and they want to destroy everything, to re-build a copy of a virtual temple.
  

Ladies and Gentlemen, has the world gone mad ? The Jews want us to believe that this is their holy right (to be back after 2000 years and rebuild a temple and a city as they were then).  -Why haven’t they fought the Romans with incessant ferocity, fidelity and bravery to protect the temple and the city (as the Palestinians men, women and even children are doing today) ?… Ah yes! you're right, they were weak then, but since they are strong today, they are making the life of the indigenous Palestinian people hell-...

The Jews want the International Community to believe that this is their God-given right and it is an ordinary and standard thing to do... If every Nation started to reclaim Land lost thousands of years ago (to justify its expansionistic plans, as Israel has been doing since its birth), we would be living in caves with the imitating chimpanzees as tribe-chiefs... We really trust that there is enough common sense and wisdom "circulating" among Arabs, Jews, and the World Community to protest and object to this outrageous and odious scheme.

One more thing, how can the Jews reclaim a temple after it has disappear 2000 years ago (because of the Romans), when the Palestinian refugees, scattered around the world, can't get back their confiscated homes they lost merely 50 years ago (because of the Jews)...What is more appalling and inexcusable is that many of these seized homes are still standing and the Palestinians still have the keys to the front doors and the official deeds going back centuries....This is yet another Human Wrong.