Temple Mount riots

The job of the media is to inform. In regards to the latest riots on the Temple Mount, most of the media reports I've read have failed miserably. Instead of explaining the reality of the situation, they parrot the competing claims of both sides. The problem with this approach is one side—the Arab Muslims side, especially in this instance—is totally unhinged and irrational.

I have been to the Western Wall plaza countless times, and I am familiar with the ramp that is being repaired (Circled in red. For a layout of the Temple Mount, click here.). The Western Wall makes up one of the walls of the Temple Mount, where the Golden Dome and al-Aksa mosques are located. The said reconstruction work is not “underneath” the Temple Mount. It is 200 feet away; it can’t possibly damage the integrity of the structure. Anybody with eyes and a brain can understand that.

It’s obvious the Palestinians are using the repair work as an excuse to rile up the Muslim world. Why don’t sane Islamic leaders condemn the violence? Surely they know these wild accusations are red herrings; that the Palestinians are manipulating world-wide religious sentiments for their own immediate and provincial political needs. Indeed, what better way to turn attention away from Palestinian civil war, corruption and general malaise than by freaking out about the nefarious Jews?

In the end this paranoid rumor mongering only makes Muslims look crazy and irrational. I’m trying to hard these days to look past the fanaticism and see the good in Islam. I know a lot of good people who are Muslim, or born Muslim. But when the so-called moderates among them remain silent on issues such as the above, it gets really hard, man, really hard.

Meanwhile, for years the Waqf has been excavating inside the Temple Mount. Tons of ancient material that some argue is rich in archeological importance has been dumped into a nearby ravine. Do Jews and Christians make threats and riot?

Israeli law requires all construction projects be excavated by trained archeologists before work is begun. The reason is simple—the country is rich in archeological treasures. The Waqf, which controls the Temple Mount, refuses to comply with this law. The Israeli authorities do nothing because they're afraid the Palestinians will go crazier than they already are (if that’s possible— although they haven’t yet used baby bombs).

Groups such as The Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount document the Waqf's careless disregard of the Temple Mount's archeological sanctity, but despite their work, nobody seems to give a shit. Why? Because a website and indignant newspaper articles don't get as much attention as violent riots.