Umayyad Palaces... Between Destruction and Judaization

Palestine in Month Magazine
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Umayyad Palaces... Between destruction and Judaization
By: Doaa El Shereef

Researcher Specializing in Israeli Affairs
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‫הכניסה לארמון האומיי בגן הארכאולוגי בירושלים‬
Umayyad palace entrance in Jerusalem archaeological park
Israel occupied and annexed East Jerusalem in 1967. The annexation included,
inter alia, the Old City and the village of Silwan, located to its south. No country has
recognized this annexation. East Jerusalem is considered an occupied area, destined to
be negotiated in a future political agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the

Event of Armed Conflict (1954) is a fundamental convention focused on the
protection of cultural sites in areas under military conflict. UNESCO has also passed
two resolutions that discuss in detail the topic of archaeology and the rules that apply
to it, prohibiting archaeological excavations in occupied territories with the exception
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of cases in which they are necessary for the protection or preservation of cultural
heritage.
Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed
Conflict, Second Protocol (1999), Article 9.1b
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Article 32 UNESCO General Conference, 9th session, 1956 New Delhi

Recommendations
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UNESCO has passed two resolutions that discuss in detail the topic of
archaeology and the rules that apply to it, prohibiting archaeological excavations
in occupied territories http://portal.unesco.org
Both the conventions and the resolutions are particularly relevant to the case
of Jerusalem, due to its international renown; moreover, in 1981, at the initiative of
the Kingdom of Jordan, the Old City was declared a “World Heritage Site”. It was
then further declared a “World Heritage Site in Danger” in 1982.
Jerusalem District -N31 46 60 E35 13 0 -Date of Inscription: 1981-Criteria:

(ii)(iii)(vi -Ref: 148rev
Inscription Year on the List of World Heritage in Danger Present 1982
It appears that Israeli activity in the Old City, including destruction of the
Mughrabi neighborhood in 1967, had an impact on the declaration. The
extensive archaeological excavations in the Old City began in 1968 and continued
until the mid-1980s.
Since 2003, UNESCO has operated a program for the preservation of 18 sites
in the Old City, but budgeting difficulties and political tensions in the area have
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delayed its implementation. The plan also includes training programs for the local
residents towards conservation of their homes and the surrounding public spaces.
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Summary and recommendations of the report of the technical mission to the Old
City of Jerusalem published on Thursday March 15, 2007
"The technical mission that I had sent from 27 February to 2 March 2007 to
the Old City of Jerusalem, which is inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List and
on the World Heritage in Danger List, completed its technical assessment on the
works conducted on the Mughrabi pathway leading to the Haram el-Sharif. The
mission has submitted to me their Report (attached below) accompanied by their
recommendations, which I support," declared the Director-General of UNESCO on
Wednesday, 14 March 2007.
"These are five recommendations," he added:
1. The Government of Israel should be asked to comply with its obligations

regarding archaeological excavations and heritage conservation in World
Heritage sites such as the Old City of Jerusalem and, in particular, with
Decision 30 COM.34 adopted by the World Heritage Committee in Vilnius in
July 2006 on this matter.
2. The Government of Israel should be asked to stop immediately the

archaeological excavations, given that the excavations that had been
undertaken were deemed to be sufficient for the purpose of assessing the
structural conditions of the pathway.
3. The Government of Israel should then clearly define the final design of the
access structure, whose principal aim should be to restore the Mughrabi
pathway without any major change to its structure and shape, in order to
maintain the values of authenticity and integrity of the site. A clear work plan
thereon should be communicated to the World Heritage Committee in the
shortest possible time.
4. The Government of Israel should be asked to engage immediately a

consultation process with all concerned parties, in particular the authorities of
the Waqf and of Jordan, the latter having signed a peace agreement on 26
October 1994, and agree upon a plan of action before taking any further action
and decision thereon.
5. This process should be supervised by an international team of experts

coordinated by UNESCO and involving in particular structural engineers,
specialized in archaeological consolidation works, in order to ensure the most
appropriate solution for the restoration of the Mughrabi pathway.
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Mr. Matsuura has decided to send this report and its conclusions to the Presidents
of the Organization's Governing Bodies, the President of the World Heritage
Committee, and the Permanent Delegates to UNESCO.
The Director-General also announced his decision to convene an Information

Meeting for UNESCO Member States on Monday 19 March 2007, in the presence of
the expert members of the mission.
On April 23, they arrived in Israel. Israel expressed its willingness to allow
inspectors from the UNESCO delegation to visit the Old City and a series of sites
currently undergoing renovations and maintenance. As part of the understanding it
was agreed that the delegation will not visit the Temple Mount and will address the
issue from the Mughrabi Gate.
In June 2013, at the last minute, the government of Israel cancelled a planned visit
of a professional delegation on behalf of UNESCO, aimed at reporting on the
project‟s progress, on the five recommendations, which condemns Israel in Jerusalem.
B. Ravid “Israel Nixes UNESCO Jerusalem Visit, Alleging Palestinians Tried to

Make it Political,"Haaretz,May 20, 2013.
In the political negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the topic of
antiquities sites in the occupied territories arose repeatedly. The Oslo Accords of
1993 proposed the establishment of a joint body addressing the archeological issues,
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but this did not materialize. In any case, the Oslo Accords do not apply to East
Jerusalem.
The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, Annex III, Appendix 1, Article 2,

Paragraph 4
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Through 2005-2007, a group of Palestinian and Israeli archaeologists

(IPAWG) joined forces to formulate principles for managing the archaeological issues
in the context of a future peace agreement. The resultant document emphasizes the
uniformity of the Israeli and the future Palestinian archaeological landscape, merely
divided by political borders. Both entities bear the unconditional responsibility of
preserving the archaeological heritage of their landscape. Regarding Jerusalem, the
group recommended the establishment of a “heritage area” that would enjoy special
protection, in the city‟s historic basin. The archaeological sites in the area would be
accessible to all, and research activity by any one of the parties would be carried out
in complete transparency. These principles were not adopted by Israel, remaining as
suggestions only.
To this day, the topic of archaeological sites in Jerusalem, their administration

and manner of presentation, have remained under Israeli control and responsibility.
Since 2005, the Israeli government has been aggressively promoting tourism projects
in Jerusalem‟s historic basin. The initiative focuses on the Old City and the village of
Silwan, including the open areas surrounding it. From 2005 to 2013, the government
of Israel and the Jerusalem municipality allocated over 620 million ILS for the
development of tourism and archaeology in the historic basin area. In 2012 the Israeli
authorities allocated an additional sum of 350 million ILS for the continuation of
work during 2013-2019. The overall investment totals some 970 million ILS.
The Israeli authorities view the excavation sites as a vehicle for changes on the
ground, bolstering an historical narrative focused on the Jewish people while
excluding the Palestinian residents from their environment and from the context of the
Temple Mount / Al-Haram a-Sharif. The excavations have had far-reaching
implications for the cultural character of the city and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Destruction of truth to prove falsehood
The destruction and theft of Umayyad palaces for the Biblical Garden
Excavations at the site of the Umayyad Palaces
The Israeli occupation forces continue flagrantly to blur and falsify the history
of the holy city and its Arab historic landmarks, where Israel is racing against time to
achieve the Zionist dream of building a third temple, although many Israeli
archaeologists, led by the Israeli archaeologist "Meir Ben-Dov" who admitted:
"All the excavations which began in the late sixties proved the absence of even a
cup of the remnants of the temple. What is happening today is just an attempt to
impose a modern Jewish status quo above and below the roof of the Holy Basin,
to tighten control over the Old city of Jerusalem".
In full view of the world, the Israeli Antiquities Authority support Elad
settlement association in the construction of the park on the ruins of the Umayyad
palaces inside the wall. Outside the wall, the occupation is preparing to establish
places to perform Jewish purification rites, where the Jew passes and washes his sins,
then arrives at the Western Wall area and the structure in the event of construction.
The real aim is to expand the area of the prayer of the Jews to reach the southern wall
of Al-Aqsa Mosque as mentioned by many Israeli associations such as "Emek
Shaveh".
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The Umayyad palaces at the south-west corner of Al-Haram Al-Shareef

revealed by the Israeli excavations since 1968 until 1978; they are four palaces
between Al-Aqsa Mosque and Ain Silwan, in addition to "Dar Emara", and places for
soldiers and housing, bottom bathrooms, and barns. The three palaces were destroyed
from the southern side during the "Dov" excavations, and biblical gardens will be
established instead. The ruins of the grand palace remained in the south-western yard
outside Al-Aqsa Mosque, however, they did not escape the excavations and
falsification of truth.
In front of the Great Umayyad palace, an Israeli board was put for the visitors
indicating that these remnants are biblical dating to the temple era, although all
evidence and excavations confirm they are purely Umayyad. This is noticed from the
smooth flow of houses to fit in with the course of water from Al-Aqsa Mosque wells
from the high level to the lower level until Ain Silwan.
‫ציור המשחזר את הארמונות האומיים בתוך הגן הארכאולוגי ירושלים‬
A design re-imagining the site of the Umayyad palaces in the archaeological park
The Umayyad palaces were built according to a unified principle and a

symmetrical architectural shape. It can be said that the architectural pattern followed
by the Umayyad is similar in many details. The Umayyad palace has the same details
that starts from the wall surrounding the building then the inner courtyard overlooked
by corridors followed by one or two-storey rooms. The outer wall is fortified away
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from openings and decorations. However, the towers were not essential for defense
and fortification; where the country was safe and residents were loyal.
The Umayyad architecture was consistent with traditions and the atmosphere,
which was evident in the ruins unearthed in the areas of these palaces. In the three
palaces in Jerusalem built by the Umayyad Caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan or his
son Caliph Walid bin Abdul Malik, we find that both of them were surrounded by
external walls with circular towers at the corners and semi-circular towers in the
middle of each side.
‫פינת ארמון אומיי וקרבתו לפינת כותלי הר הבית בתוך הגן הארכאולוג‬
A corner of the wall of the Umayyad palace near a corner of the walls of Al-
Haram Al-Shareef
Excavations revealed parts of these wall remnants with a height up to four

meters. It was noted that the walls are separated from Al-Haram by a street with a
width of 430 cm, with 35x25 cm and 60x70 cm tiles. The remnants of the three
palaces indicate that one of them was located at the southern wall of Al-Haram, and
the other at the western wall. At the south of Al-Haram there is a huge palace with
dimensions of 48X96 meters, with a gate from the east and another from the west. At
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the center there is a courtyard surrounded with corridors leading to spacious rooms
with a length of 17 or 20 meters. At this site, columns, crowns, and pieces of handrails
were found, as well as colorful decorations at the west area of the building. The other
building is smaller in space but has a similar design, while the third is also similar in
materials, design and mosaics.
In the exposed grand palace outside the wall of Jerusalem from the south-west,
excavations revealed a palace constructed of huge stones, where the thickness of its
wall reaches from 2.75 to 3.10 meters, making the foundations of the building
sometimes reach a depth of 9 meters below the level of the palace. The building is
located at the center of an inner courtyard surrounded by arcades overlooked by
corridors leading to the rooms. The palace has three gates, one of them is
characterized by its decorations. The palace has other Umayyad decorations such as
stone handrails, columns, and crowns. The results of the excavations show that a
violent earthquake had hit Jerusalem in 747 AD; three years before the fall of the
Umayyad Caliphate at the hands of the Abbasids, which led to the destruction of these
palaces, which remained neglected.
‫שרידי בית הכנסת מן התקופה המוסלמית הקדומה‬
Remains of an old mosque from the Early Islamic period
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The Umayyad palaces are located along the southern wall of the Al-Aqsa
Mosque, specifically behind the Marwani Mosque and Al-Aqsa niche. The palaces
were converted to "Talmudic tourist paths" by the occupation, within a
comprehensive scheme to Judaize the area, and declaring it as one of the facilities of
the alleged "temple".
The Umayyad palaces with its ancient stones and buildings built by the
Umayyads, are Islamic and Arab heritage, and a symbol of the Islamic civilization in
Palestine, which refutes the Israeli claims of discovering Jewish relics in the area
during the archaeological excavations conducted over the past years.
Another part of the area extends from the western side of Al-Aqsa until the
Mughrabi Gate area, where the occupation demolished most of it and converted it to a
"national archaeological park" after excavations had been conducted over 20 years
and at a depth of 20 meters.
The occupation converted the palaces owned by Islamic waqf to Talmudic

museums and shrines, visited by tourists, where they are told biblical narratives.
‫במת התפילה במתחם דוידסון‬
A platform for prayers in Davidson complex
In 2001, the occupation opened "Davidson" center in the rest of the giant
stones in the area, and is now preparing to expand this center, which includes relics
uncovered during excavation operations, where the occupation claims that they are
Hebrew Talmudic antiquities.
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Over recent years, the occupation authorities carried out excavation work in
the area, which led to the destruction of Islamic and Arabic precious heritage, and also
stole and transferred many Islamic artifacts.
The occupation put signs and boards with Judaized names thus falsifying the
area's history. They also allowed Jewish religious prayers and festivals, within a series
of actions aimed to completely Judaize the area.
The occupation authorities directly target the southern area, so that a global
celebration for tourists is organized, bringing Jews from India and South Africa, as
well as festivals for Jewish children or couples.
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In recent days, within the scheme of targeting the area, models representing
huge stones and columns were put, as well as artistic models made of carton on the
top of the remnants of the palaces, where the occupation is racing against time in
order to Judaize them.
Internal documents of the Israel Antiquities Authority revealed how the right-
wing association Elad controls one of the revealed internal documents of the Israel
Antiquities Authority How does the extreme right-wing Elad manages one of the
archaeological excavations task for Israel, and how they infringe on the campus of the
occupied city of Jerusalem, including the tombs of the effects. important for Israel,
and how it assaults the Al-Haram Al-Shareef in Jerusalem, including cemeteries and
antiquities.
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Emek Shaveh reveals by documents the support of the Israeli occupation

authorities and Elad settlement association
The Emek Shaveh organization – a group of archaeologists who are critical of

the political use of archaeological research by Elad and the state – obtained the
documents under the Freedom of Information Act.
As you leave the Western Wall compound in Jerusalem‟s Old City via the
Dung Gate, turn left, toward the City of David National Park. On your right is a metal
fence decorated with painted figures; beyond it is a vast pit. For the past seven years,
this huge trench has been the site of the biggest archaeological excavation carried out
in the city in decades, and one of the largest, in terms of the volume of earth removed,
ever carried out in the country. What‟s eventually planned for the site is a structure
called the Kedem Center – an immense, and immensely controversial, building
intended to serve as a visitors‟ center, museum and entrance to the national park.
The project is being sponsored by Elad (a Hebrew acronym for “To the City of
David”), a right-wing settlers organization that already administers the park and is
engaged in Judaizing the adjacent Palestinian residential neighborhood of Silwan.
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The story of the pit and its ever-deepening penetration of Jerusalem‟s soil
reflects the growing ties between Elad and the state authorities, particularly the Israel
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Antiquities Authority. The excavation has turned up many impressive findings,

including a Jewish dwelling from the Hasmonean period, a mansion from the Second
Temple era, a large villa from the Roman period and gold from Byzantine times.
However, a find of another kind altogether – in the form of hundreds of internal
documents belonging to the IAA, which were made available to Haaretz – exposes the
tangled relations between Elad and the authority.
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These documents reveal the sharp shift in the latter‟s policy: from sweeping
opposition to construction at the site, to ardent support for the project. They also show
that the excavation has no clear plan for the conservation in-place of historically
significant finds, despite the protest of senior archaeologists on the authority‟s
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professional staff, and that the Supreme Court was not told the whole truth about the
dig. Also revealed in the documents is fact that a Muslim cemetery was removed from
the site and the existence of Jewish graves there – along with the fact that the project
is being funded, primarily – not by Elad, but by Israeli taxpayers.
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A report by Nir Hasson published in Haaretz "The archaeological dig at the

City of David" reveals links between the Antiquities Authority and the right-wing
Elad group, and what happened to the graves over which the visitors center was
established, and who finances these attacks.
Nir Hasson's report published in Haaretz on Sunday 14/11/2014 entitled "The

archaeological dig at the city of David"
The report reads "The new plan has infuriated a coalition of intellectuals,
architects and archaeologists alike.
“I am not yet convinced that this structure, at this distance from Al-Aqsa
[mosque, on the Temple Mount] will create fraternity between the peoples and the
religions,” the well-known poet Haim Gouri told Haaretz. To which David
Kroyanker, an architect and authority on the history of Jerusalem, added, “I have
never encountered a plan of such brazenness and such lethal potential as this one.”
Hasson added that "Hardly a day has gone by since the summer that the
neighborhood of Silwan hasn‟t been in the news. It has been the scene of some of the
worst violence in Jerusalem in recent times, with ongoing clashes between residents
and the police. Last month, dozens of young Jews took the locals by surprise when
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they took possession of 25 apartments in the dead of night. The homes had been
purchased by Elad through a company registered abroad. The next day, Economy
Minister Naftali Bennett visited the neighborhood and declared: “There is now a
Jewish majority in the City of David – formerly known as Silwan. That means the
City of David will always remain in Israel. This is a historic event.”
Bennett thus revealed the basic ambition of Elad and other settlement-oriented
groups in East Jerusalem: to Judaize the area in order to prevent the city‟s partition, or
at least to ensure that this area remains part of Israel should Jerusalem be divided.
Despite Bennett‟s declaration, and decades of massive investment, the settlers

are nowhere near achieving a majority in Silwan. However, Elad can point proudly to
one project that is changing the neighborhood‟s face and character: the archaeological
dig in the City of David.
Heating relations
Elad started out in the early 1990s as an NGO with the aim of settling Jews in
the City of David (specifically, the upper part of Silwan, closest to the Temple
Mount). Over time, its main occupation became development of the City of David
park and archaeological site, which was placed under its management. Its efforts to
build a large visitors‟ center are backed by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, by the Israel
Nature and Parks Authority – the official manager of the park – and by most of the
municipal planning bodies. But to move ahead with the construction of the structure
in the heart of one of Israel‟s most important archaeological sites, Elad needs the IAA.
In 1997, the authority learned that the state was planning to put Elad in charge
of the state-owned parts of Silwan. Its legal adviser sent a sharply worded letter of
protest to then-Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein, stating, “In recent years, Elad
has been directly responsible for offenses of damaging antiquities and of illegal
construction, forcing the IAA to summon the police.” He added, “The firmly held
view of the authority is that it is essential to preserve the City of David and not allow
any construction there.”
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Yet, within a about a dozen years, the IAA became a full partner to the plan to
build the huge visitors‟ center atop what is undoubtedly one of Jerusalem‟s
historically significant tels, in the City of David. This is also contrary to the declared
policy of not building on multilayered archaeological sites.
The authority‟s documents reflect its change of approach, beginning in 2000-

2001, vis-a-vis Elad and the construction project. In June 2001, for example, the IAA
did not reject outright an Elad plan to build a large underground parking area and an
entryway to the national park. “We need to see the overall picture of the area‟s
development,” the authority noted.
A year later, in an internal meeting, the authority‟s director at the time, the late
Yehoshua Dorfman, ordered the start of work at the site. The minutes of the meeting
state that, “if distinctive antiquities are found, no construction at all will be
permitted,” while at the same time contradicting itself by noting that “the
archaeological findings will be integrated into the structure.”
This stage, according to archaeologist Raphael Greenberg, from Emek Shaveh,

marked a complete turnabout in the authority‟s approach. The planned format now
saw the excavation as little more than a rescue dig, which involves the quick removal
of ancient findings in order to develop an area.
Says Greenberg a professor at Tel Aviv University: “When Shuka Dorfman

(who died four months ago) began negotiating over the dig, he was effectively saying,
„I have agreed to the structure; I am using my authority to change the character of this
site.‟ All that remained was to haggle over the price, and over what should be
removed and what should remain.”
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Cooperation between the IAA and Elad became closer after the excavation
began in 2003. The documents show the authority yielding to Elad‟s demands time
after time. In 2005, senior authority officials met with the director of Elad, David
Be‟eri, and one of its leading figures, Dvir Kahana (today the director general of
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Bennett‟s Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Ministry). They discussed the question of
who would be responsible for the antiquities discovered at the site of the planned
construction. At that stage, the plan called for a parking area and entryway – a
relatively modest project to be designed by the noted architect Moshe Safdie.
In 2007, after a short break, the dig was resumed full-tilt under the IAA‟s Dr. Doron
Ben-Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets.
From parking lot to mall
Archaeological excavations of the National Park in the City of David in Silwan.

The parking lot scheme has been replaced with the visitors center scheme
The Givati parking lot, the site of the excavation, begins about 20 meters from
the Old City wall. To conduct the dig without causing damage to the road, which runs
between the lot and the wall, Elad and the IAA erected a towering concrete wall to
buttress the sides of the vast excavation trench. In 2008, Peace Now and residents of
Silwan petitioned the High Court of Justice, arguing that the wall was constructed
without a building permit and that the dig too was illegal. Greenberg added that the
wall also covers the archaeological strata; one of the important elements in scientific
archaeological excavations.
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In its response, the IAA declared that it had no intention of even considering
any building plan until the archaeological excavations were done – but failed to tell
the court that it had already given its approval to Safdie‟s plan.
The Silwan residents added that the parking lot was the last open space in the
neighborhood, and that it should be utilized to build sorely needed schools or other
public structures.
In one of the documents sent to the lawyer Bar-Sela, the regional archaeologist
Jon Seligman said that "the owner of the land is the developer and the funder of the
archaeological excavations on the plot which he owns.”
According to Greenberg, the presence of “private” landowners renders the site

a bubble detached from its environment, the IAA's is to protect and preserve the
country‟s historical treasures in such an important area.
Supreme Court Justice Edna Arbel accepted the authority‟s stance and
authorized the dig and the concrete wall, explaining: “The City of David tells the
story of the thousands of years of Jerusalem‟s history, as can be gleaned from the
Bible and elsewhere. National and international importance attaches to revealing the
secrets of the City of David.”
In the meantime, the original relatively modest plan morphed into the current,
grandiose design for the Kedem Center – a seven-story building of 16,000 square
meters – planned by the architect Arieh Rachamimov. Archaeological finds will be
displayed in situ, at the bottom level, above which there will be a parking lot and a
structure that will include the park entrance, offices, classrooms, a museum, an
auditorium, a souvenir shop and a restaurant. All this on an archaeological tel, 20
meters from the Old City walls.
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The new plan has infuriated a coalition of intellectuals, architects and

archaeologists alike. “I am not yet convinced that this structure, at this distance from
Al-Aqsa mosque will create fraternity between the peoples and the religions,” the
well-known poet Haim Gouri said. To which David Kroyanker, an architect and
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authority on the history of Jerusalem, added, “I have never encountered a plan of such
brazenness and such lethal potential as this one.”
The minutes of the meeting, in 2008, when Elad presented the new plan to the
IAA, reveal that some of its own senior archaeologists were taken aback by the scale
of the project. “It‟s a structure in the format of a shopping mall,” said Dr. Yuval
Baruch, now head of the Jerusalem district of the IAA. To which Dorman himself
added, “We were talking about a modest structure for parking, and now we‟re being
shown an immense building.”
Nevertheless, the authority continued to support the project.

In 2009, Jerusalem‟s District Planning and Building Committee added a condition:
that a conservation plan be prepared ahead of final authorization of the project. Elad
was worried: This could cause a delay of years. But the organization‟s friends in the
IAA came to the rescue.
Yonatan Tzahor, an architect from the El‟ad Association, approached the

IAA‟s Regional Archaeologist Dr. Yuval Baruch, with an urgent request for help:
“See the response of Ilana [Rudshevsky, from the planning office] regarding
completing a documentation file for the Givati Parking Lot/Kedem Center for
deposition (and not for a construction permit) – she and Dalit [Zilber, regional
planner] are insisting on this. There is an urgent need to clarify their mistake”.
In a letter written by Dr. Yuval Baruch two days later: “As far as I remember
this was not my position and if it was then it was an unintentional mistake. In order to
clarify I would like to note again that the IAA approval for a construction permit will
require the preparation of a detailed conservation plan, this does not constitute a
stipulation appended to the plan itself. That is a problem, says archaeologist
Greenberg, as it means that no proper criteria have been set regarding what to keep
and what to discard in the course of the dig.
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How many bones and graves?
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According to Greenberg, a project of the size of the Givati Parking Lot is

extremely important for the IAA. Based on documented estimates, the eight
excavation seasons in the Givati parking Lot comprised 2000 excavation days. For
comparison‟s sake, Yigael Yadin‟s excavations in Masada comprised about 350 work
days. An average number of excavation days in an academic research excavation is
maximum 30 work days per year. Thus, excavations in Givati are equivalent to 65
academic excavation seasons. At present, the excavation is proceeding at a breakneck
pace, Greenberg says, at the expense of the archaeological finds, especially those of
little interest to Elad. Thus, on the way down to the Jewish strata, the excavators
dismantled the layers dating to the Muslim periods, including an 11th-century Muslim
cemetery.
Skulls thrown inside a pile of dirt. Hundreds of skeletons perhaps more than a
thousand were discovered during the excavation. There were horrible situations
for the workers
The IAA documents show that in February 2008, the dig‟s director, Doron
Ben-Ami, informed Baruch that human bones had been found. “I asked him to stop
digging in places where bones were discovered, and I also asked him to keep things
quiet,” Baruch noted in internal correspondence. Baruch‟s impression was that there
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were only a few bones scattered here and there, but when collected, they filled 100
boxes. “I was very surprised by the number,” he admitted.
Ben-Ami too thought they were the remains of only a few dozen people, but
emphasizes in the documents that he lacked the necessary anthropological knowledge
to confirm that. He added that no complete skeletons had been found. The boxes with
the bones were placed in storage in a container at the site and were eventually buried.
A grave was excavated and contains many skeletons. According to speculations,

this is a family grave, and the direction of skeletons indicates the Muslims' burial
habits; where the skeletons are directed to the south-east (towards Mecca).
According to the archaeologist" Sulymani", this grave reflects a sophisticated
and organized society
The removal of human bones from archaeological sites in Israel is not unusual
– as long as they are not believed to belong to Jews, which, according to religious
law, are not supposed to be disturbed. But the documents in question received by
"Emek Shaveh" show that Jewish graves were indeed found at the site. According to
Greenberg, the initial scientific reports from the dig say nothing about the discovery
of dozens of Jewish or Muslim graves, and an effort was apparently made to keep this
secret. At the end of a discussion in 2006 Ben-Ami said: "Jewish graves were found
34
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in the area, and I believe we will find graves in the section we have begun to excavate
now". According to Greenberg, it is important to investigate an ethnically mixed,
Muslim and Jewish, population in the 9th century, and whether a Jewish-Muslim
cemetery was discovered.
Testimony of workers in the Muslim Cemetery in 2006: They smashed human

skulls and skeletons during excavation
Despite all that, some workers said in a report by the Israeli journalist
"Jonathan Lis ‫ " יהונתן ליס‬in Haaretz entitled: "Workers find skeletons at site of
Muslim Cemetery" that "they smashed human skulls and skeletons while digging".
Where nearly 150 Jewish young people work at the site, and they are digging
graves under the tents.
http://www.haaretz.co.il/misc/1.1081214
It is clear from other testimonies that more than 150 skeletons were discovered
at the museum's site under the full view of the IAA. According to one of the workers,
"we found a skeleton on Sunday, which is not unusual, as there is a skeleton at each
site".
The workers said that they smashed the human skeletons and skulls as a result
of digging. Lis also said in his article the responsibility for "Ma'man Allah" cemetery
was transferred to the Custodian of Absentee Property, which in 1992 transferred it to
the Jerusalem Municipality, where its chairmen "Teddy Kollek" and "Ehud Olmert"
have been working until the present day to remove the cemetery landmark, as well as
the landmarks of the while holy city.
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‫ הם אינם מיומנים לטיפול בעתיקות‬,‫ לדברי העובדים‬.‫שלד שנחשף על ידי עובדי הקמת המוזיאון‬
‫וגרמו נזק לשלדים שנחשפו בעת חפירות ההצלה באתר‬
The skeletons discovered by the workers. According to them, they have no

training in such work. The skeletons were smashed during the excavation at the
site
Over the past few days, closed-circuit TV cameras have been installed to
document attempts to enter the site. Workers said they were called in at night to cover
the area with plastic sheeting. "They told us 'if they know there are bones here, the
project will close,'" a worker said.
In January 2006, when Israeli newspapers announced the intention of the

Israeli government to open the headquarters of the so-called Center for Human
Dignity - Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem over the ruins of Ma'man Allah
Cemetery, which confirms Israel's determination to put an end to "Ma'man Allah"
Cemetery. The Israeli Supreme Court procrastinated in response to the petition of "Al-
Aqsa Foundation" filed by the lawyer Mr. Ahmed Suleiman against the museums
group called SWC, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, the Jerusalem
Municipality, and Israel Land Authority. The petition called to issue an urgent order
to stop the excavations on the land of the Ma'man Allah Muslim cemetery, and not to
take out any material outside the cemetery. All documents and photos were attached
to the petition. The court's procrastination in responding to the petition indicates its
complicity to the crime and allowing the perpetrators a chance to hide this crime by
removing the bones and remains of the dead without being seen.
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The court decision in 2006
The Israeli Supreme Court in 2006 rejects the petition filed by Al-Karama For
Human Rights represented by its director Durgham Saif
One of the officials in the IAA told Haaretz that no other excavations have all
such resources and attention. The work is carried out slowly compared to what can be
achieved, as it was possible to be completed within three to four years.
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A skeleton at the excavation site in the cemetery. According to workers, some

skeletons were smashed due to digging. You can notice the old fracture that has
existed for several years and the new fracture during the excavation, as is evident
in the fracture at the right of the photo
Documents also included various repeated complaints by the IAA officials

who criticized the rapid excavation work without taking into account the conservation
of the site. In June 2012, the director of the IAA‟s conservation department, Raanan
Kislev, said at an internal meeting: “To this day, Elad has not integrated an architect
of ours into the project… Elad is ignoring our requests…” In fact, he emphasized, the
standard conservation practices for preserving essential archaeological finds in situ
were not being observed. Three months later, excavation director Ben-Ami added:
“Conservation has been carried out only for a few days; Elad did not accede to our
requests to do conservation work.”
Excavations Director Ben-Ami and other officials in IAA tried several times
to demand to slow the pace of digging. But Elad did not respond. In 2007 Seligman
recommended to suspend the excavations in the winter in order to process and study
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its results, the developer David Be‟eri said “We should take advantage of winter as a
low season for tourism and expedite the pace of excavation”. And this is indeed what
happened.
In light of these work relations, the content of the tense email exchanges
between the head of excavations and the director of the department for development
and public relations at the El‟ad Association a year ago is not surprising: El‟ad rep: I
don‟t understand why work has been stopped for the three days between Yom Kippur
and Sukkot. Don‟t you understand the urgency of completing the works?? Is there
something that I am missing here?” Archaeologist: “Although I don‟t owe you any
explanations, I will tell you that I decided that those three days would not be work
days when we discovered that most of the workers will not show up to work. As you
know it is not possible to convey the soil out with so few workers so that the efficacy
of those days would have been close to zero…” El‟ad rep: “You don‟t owe me any
explanations? Even your bosses from the Antiquities Authority did not know about
this holiday…what kind of tone is that „I do not owe you any explanations‟??!! Is this
the line that you‟re taking with the El‟ad Association? I‟d like to understand…There‟s
no reason to celebrate 6 years of excavation. A few years too many – years during
which those „you don‟t owe explanations to‟ are running around to make sure you get
paid!”
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Funding
Elad excavations in Givati Parking Lot and Kedem Center according to Emek
Shaveh
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The transcripts, e-mail exchanges and financial balance sheets upon which this
report is based, tell an extraordinary tale of how a government agency becomes party
to the agenda of a right wing association. Elad has two strong cards to play here: It
owns the land and it is ostensibly funding the whole project. The land in question was
formerly Palestinian-owned, but was purchased by the organization in 2002. As for
the funding, the documents show that Elad is financing the costly dig – but they also
suggest that the group might actually be little more than a conduit for the transfer of
government funds for the dig and may be paying very little itself.
Excavations in the courtyard of the Western Wall (Buraq Wall) (2005-2009)
Emek Shaveh‟s Greenberg, aided by his organization‟s accountant, estimate

that the City of David dig costs 3 million shekels a year. Elad has been funding the
excavations since 2007. Excavations were funded from the beginning by a public
establishment – the East Jerusalem Development Company (a government-owned
company). According to Greenberg estimations, the scope of El‟ad‟s commitments to
archaeological projects in Jerusalem reached sums totaling up to 10% of the
archaeological projects conducted by the Antiquities Authority. The documents show
that the money Elad transfers to the IAA to underwrite the project are, at source,
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government funds. In most cases, the money has been transferred directly from the
government to the authority, which then credits the amount to Elad. Thus, between
2011 and 2013, government ministries transferred 26.3 million shekels to the IAA as
indirect funding for Elad‟s excavations and development projects.
IAA Kedem Center plan (Givati Parking Lot) - City of David - and the Old City
Basin (Al-Aqsa Mosque)
It‟s not clear in all cases which ministries are making these payments. The
largest check – in the amount of 11.5 million shekels– came from the Culture and
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Sports Ministry; another 7.3 million shekels came from the Tourism Ministry; and
the same amount from other, unidentified government sources.
Money transfers to El’ad’s debit/credit account at the Antiquities Authority

from Government Ministries and other external sources – 2011-2013 From Emek
Shaveh documents in its report 2014)
2011-2013
Money transfers from the Ministry of Tourism
“The stock of antiquities in Jerusalem is very limited,” Greenberg says. “What

remains is a small fraction of what there was, and it must be preserved at all cost. It
has to be excavated as slowly as possible and without pressure. We can‟t behave as
though this were 1967, and bring in bulldozers to discard things, as was done with the
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Mughrabi Quarter [the Muslim neighborhood razed to create the Western Wall plaza].
You would think no one has any interest in the place other than Elad and the IAA.”
In response the IAA said in a statement:
"The excavation project in the Givati lot is one of the most important
archaeological operations carried out in Israel during the past generation. The IAA is
proud to have the privilege to conduct and lead the project for 11 years. It is being
carried out without extraneous considerations and is adhering to the highest
professional and scientific standards. The findings at the Givati dig are open to
anyone who is interested. Much information has been published on the excavation, in
both scientific and popular forums. Like every dig, the Givati project is also subject to
academic review. The sponsors of the project (Elad) are allocating major resources to
the dig, for its execution and for carrying out a large number of accompanying
studies, which place the Givati dig in the top ranks of world archaeological research."
The plan of Kedem Center
“The allocation of the excavation funds for research studies is under the sole
responsibility of the IAA, and is carried out on a strictly professional basis. The
sponsor has no discretion in this matter, or in the pace of the dig and of the research.
The IAA is managing the excavations throughout Israel, and in all seasons including
winter. These projects are welcomed in both Israel and the world.
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With regard to the Kedem Center, the IAA's decision was discussed in the
presence of heads of various bodies including the IAA. Many consultations were
combined from senior archaeologists and different academic institutions. The IAA
authorized the construction plans, but set strict and binding conditions. Thus, no
building privileges will be allotted until the archaeological dig is completed, and the
issuing of a building permit is conditional on the preparation of a detailed
conservation plan.
“As for the removal of strata, this is usually within the exclusive purview of
the dig‟s director. However, in the Givati dig, a team of archaeologists and
conservators from the IAA discusses every act of removal of a layer or of the
dismantling of a significant structural remnant. Any statement to the contrary is
untrue.
The implementation of the last phase of the excavations at the entrance to Wadi
Hilweh, 100 meters to the south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and 20 meters to the south
of Jerusalem historical walls
“With regard to the graves, their excavation is done according to strict

scientific rules, with respect for the dead and the supervision of the relevant religious
authorities. To date, one volume of the final excavation report has been published.
The analysis of the material for the coming volumes, including the one dealing with
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the graves, is in advanced stages. It is important to note that the IAA has no intention
of publishing [reports related to] only parts of the dig and hiding others.
Excavations in the Givati Parking Lot
Satisfaction in the IAA circles: there are many discussions in the IAA about
the excavations and construction in Givati. Naturally, some of the participants have
had reservations and remarks just like any other issue, were important and
professional binding decisions are taken.
As for funding, the mode of fund transfers from [Elad] to the authority over
the years was determined according to substantive considerations at any given time.
This is a procedural matter only.
“To conclude, the excavation project in the Givati lot is one of the most
important archaeological operations carried out in Israel during the past generation.
The IAA is proud to have the privilege to conduct and lead the project. It is being
carried out without extraneous considerations and is adhering to the highest
professional and scientific standards.”
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For its part, the Elad organization had this to say: “For the past 11 years, Elad
has been conducting a rescue dig, including its funding, in an area owned privately by
the association, and under the supervision and management of the IAA, with the aim
of building a public structure that will be a tourism site where the findings will be on
public display. The structure will serve as an entry to the site for hundreds of
thousands of visitors. The entrance is essential, befitting the City of David as a
national and world heritage site. The structure will combine old and new, and present
to the public the strata of life at the City of David, with appropriate representation of
every historical period.
“All the professional archaeological decisions are made by the IAA, without
[Elad‟s] intervention. The fact that the dig has been proceeding in an ongoing manner
for more than a decade is hardly consistent with the „accusation‟ that it is being
conducted at a rapid pace. Despite objective obstacles, and attempts to thwart the
project by those who wish to prevent the site‟s development, we believe the day is
near when the public will enjoy a worthy and dignified tourism entryway.” The plan
will be discussed soon in the Regional Planning and Building Committee.
The Ministry of Culture and Sports provided this statement: “The ministry has
never transferred budgets to Elad. The ministry funds the IAA in the amount of 70
million shekels annually. This budget helps the authority carry out various projects,
among them rescue excavations, including the one at the City of David. The authority
makes decisions by itself, at its exclusive discretion, about which rescue digs to
conduct and their funding.”
From the Tourism Ministry: “As part of a comprehensive investment in

tourism infrastructures in Jerusalem, the Tourism Ministry has invested about 7
million shekels in the development of the City of David. This includes landscaping,
parking, lighting, shade and archaeological digs (as part of the excavations in the
national park around the Old City wall). The site is now a major attraction, is being
maintained at a high level and constitutes a model of success.”
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Excavations in the area of Umayyad palaces and the parameter of Al-Aqsa

Mosque which is a world heritage site
At the end of this analytical and documentary study of violations of the

occupation authorities against the Umayyad palaces and the parameter of Al-Aqsa
Mosque, "Palestine in a Month" magazine calls on the international community,
United Nations, and the Security Council to do the following:
1- The Government of Israel should be asked to comply with its obligations

regarding archaeological excavations and heritage conservation in World
Heritage sites such as the Old City of Jerusalem and, in particular, with
Decision 30 COM.34 adopted by the World Heritage Committee in Vilnius in
July 2006 on this matter.
2- The Government of Israel should be asked to stop immediately the

archaeological excavations, given that the excavations that had been
undertaken were deemed to be sufficient for the purpose of assessing the
structural conditions of the pathway, and to stop the removal and transfer of
the Arab and Islamic heritage from the Umayyad palaces site, and removing
the metal canopy that was built in the center of the Umayyad palaces, and the
metal and wooden platforms that have been recently built for Jewish prayers
along the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
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Umayyad palaces in Jerusalem are targeted with Judaization scheme
3- The Government of Israel should be condemned for violating its legal

obligations to maintain the status quo before the occupation of Jerusalem in
1967 and its obligations under the paragraph 9/2 of the peace agreement
between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Israel signed on
26 October 1994.
4- The cancellation of the implementation of the Israeli government's decision

last week to expand the above mentioned Jewish prayer platforms for the
benefit of the Jews at the expense of a Waqf land, and at the expense of the
Arabic and Islamic heritage of the western wall of Al-Aqsa, and removing all
Judaization names and banners entered to the site, and stopping Jewish
religious prayers and festivals which have been recently allowed at the site.
And last but not least, prompting the Israeli occupation to return the Umayyad palaces
site to the original owner i.e. Jordanian Islamic Waqf to manage and maintain it
properly.
49

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Palestine in Month Magazine

Umayyad Palaces... Between destruction and Judaization

By: Doaa El Shereef

‫הכניסה לארמון האומיי בגן הארכאולוגי בירושלים‬

Umayyad palace entrance in Jerusalem archaeological park

The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the

Article 32 UNESCO General Conference, 9th session, 1956 New Delhi

Jerusalem District -N31 46 60 E35 13 0 -Date of Inscription: 1981-Criteria:

Inscription Year on the List of World Heritage in Danger Present 1982

"These are five recommendations," he added:

1. The Government of Israel should be asked to comply with its obligations

2. The Government of Israel should be asked to stop immediately the

4. The Government of Israel should be asked to engage immediately a

5. This process should be supervised by an international team of experts

The Director-General also announced his decision to convene an Information

B. Ravid “Israel Nixes UNESCO Jerusalem Visit, Alleging Palestinians Tried to

The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, Annex III, Appendix 1, Article 2,

Through 2005-2007, a group of Palestinian and Israeli archaeologists

To this day, the topic of archaeological sites in Jerusalem, their administration

Destruction of truth to prove falsehood

Excavations at the site of the Umayyad Palaces

The Umayyad palaces at the south-west corner of Al-Haram Al-Shareef

‫ציור המשחזר את הארמונות האומיים בתוך הגן הארכאולוגי ירושלים‬

The Umayyad palaces were built according to a unified principle and a

Excavations revealed parts of these wall remnants with a height up to four

‫שרידי בית הכנסת מן התקופה המוסלמית הקדומה‬

Remains of an old mosque from the Early Islamic period

The occupation converted the palaces owned by Islamic waqf to Talmudic

‫במת התפילה במתחם דוידסון‬

A platform for prayers in Davidson complex

Emek Shaveh reveals by documents the support of the Israeli occupation

The Emek Shaveh organization – a group of archaeologists who are critical of

Antiquities Authority. The excavation has turned up many impressive findings,

A report by Nir Hasson published in Haaretz "The archaeological dig at the

Nir Hasson's report published in Haaretz on Sunday 14/11/2014 entitled "The

Despite Bennett‟s declaration, and decades of massive investment, the settlers

The authority‟s documents reflect its change of approach, beginning in 2000-

This stage, according to archaeologist Raphael Greenberg, from Emek Shaveh,

Says Greenberg a professor at Tel Aviv University: “When Shuka Dorfman

From parking lot to mall

Archaeological excavations of the National Park in the City of David in Silwan.

According to Greenberg, the presence of “private” landowners renders the site

The new plan has infuriated a coalition of intellectuals, architects and

Nevertheless, the authority continued to support the project.

Yonatan Tzahor, an architect from the El‟ad Association, approached the

How many bones and graves?

According to Greenberg, a project of the size of the Givati Parking Lot is

A grave was excavated and contains many skeletons. According to speculations,

Testimony of workers in the Muslim Cemetery in 2006: They smashed human

The skeletons discovered by the workers. According to them, they have no

In January 2006, when Israeli newspapers announced the intention of the

The court decision in 2006

A skeleton at the excavation site in the cemetery. According to workers, some

Documents also included various repeated complaints by the IAA officials

Excavations in the courtyard of the Western Wall (Buraq Wall) (2005-2009)

Emek Shaveh‟s Greenberg, aided by his organization‟s accountant, estimate

Money transfers to El’ad’s debit/credit account at the Antiquities Authority

Money transfers from the Ministry of Tourism

“The stock of antiquities in Jerusalem is very limited,” Greenberg says. “What

In response the IAA said in a statement:

The plan of Kedem Center

“With regard to the graves, their excavation is done according to strict

Excavations in the Givati Parking Lot

From the Tourism Ministry: “As part of a comprehensive investment in