A commission appointed by Premier Golda Meir to investigate the drilling of holes in the Western Wall visited the site of the drilling this morning. Haim Kubersky, director general of the Interior Ministry who heads the commission, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that they hoped to conclude their work within three days and have a report ready by the weekend. Kubersky said the commission’s findings would be reported to the Prime Minister only and that she alone will decide when to release them.
Archaeologists here said today that the stones into which the holes were drilled were not part of the original Herodian wall which surrounded the Temple area but dated from the Omayyad, an early Arab period beginning in the eighth century. Nevertheless, Jewish religious tradition holds all parts of the wall sacred whether or not they existed at the time of the Temple. The stones dating from the later period are known as the “little wall.” They were used for prayer during the period of the British Mandate in Palestine when Arab unrest made the Western Wall inaccessible to Jewish worshippers.
KNESSET DEBATE EXPECTED
The holes were drilled last Friday so that iron bolts could be inserted to prevent an adjacent 800-year-old Arab house from collapsing. The house was endangered by tunneling operations carried out by the Ministry for Religious Affairs to expose more of the Western Wall. Stones lying beneath the “little wall” are believed to date from the Herodian period.
The tunnel lies about eight yards beneath the endangered house in the old Moslem quarter. The Chief Rabbinate wanted the house demolished and its tenants relocated but the Jerusalem municipality decided to try to keep the building intact. Jewish sources say less than 500 Arab dwellings are located in the area but sources close to the Moslem Supreme Council claim the number is closer to 1000.
The drilling created a furore in the Orthodox community and in the City Council last night. The religious Council members, however, accepted Mayor Teddy Kollek’s statement that he was shocked by the drilling. The Mayor and the City Engineer had earlier disclaimed any responsibility for it. The matter is expected to come up for debate in the Knesset where the Orthodox factions have already submitted agenda motions.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
