Umayyad-era artifacts stolen from Jerusalem

RAMALLAH: The Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage said that Israeli authorities stole Umayyad-era stones and artifacts “from the Umayyad Palaces in the southern part of the Al-Aqsa compound.”

The foundation said in a press statement that the Israeli authorities transferred “the stolen stones and artifacts to unknown location.”

It added that the excavation in the Umayyad palaces area reached tens of meters. It warned that the use of huge machines in the excavation works in the area is inflicting serious danger to the foundations of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The foundation stressed that goal of excavation “is to Judaize Jerusalem and destory Al-Aqsa Mosque to build the so-called second temple on ruins of it.”

It described the Israeli move as “a theft and piracy against the Islamic civilization and culture.”

Sheikh Abdulazeem Salhab, the head of Islamic Waqf Council in Jerusalem, denounced the Israeli move. Salhab told Arab News that “Israel, in accordance to international rules and treaties, is forbidden from excavation works and confiscating the antiquities.” He urged the UNESCO to seek ways for the return of stolen artifacts.”

On April, the Israeli authorities stole Umayyad-era stone from the same area and was transferred to the courtyard of the Israeli Knesset.

Israel rejected Palestinian calls to return the stone to the Al-Aqsa Compound. In a separate development, Israeli human rights organizations said that the government of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin had decided as early as 1974 that territory on which the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim was subsequently built, as well as the E1 area, would be an inseparable part of Jerusalem. The organizations B’Tselem and Bimkom said that Rabin’s government voted on Nov. 24, 1974, to establish an industrial zone in Ma’aleh Adumim, as well as residential areas for the employees.

According to the organizations, the National Archives documents show that the government designated 65,000 dunams for the settlement, which was to house more than 10,000 Jewish occupiers.