ABSTRACT
In February 2007 the Israeli government began works to demolish the ramp pathway leading from the Western Wall to the Mughrabi Gate of TM/HS compound. This chapter aims to analyze the dispute over the Mughrabi Ramp since its collapse in 2004. It focuses on the endorsements and objections of the proposed construction plans from all parties involved, including Muslim stakeholders, Jewish interests, the Jerusalem municipality, Israeli archeologists, and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The earthen pathway leading from the Western Wall Plaza to the Mughrabi Gate of the Haram al-Sharif is what remains of the Mughrabi Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, which was demolished by Israel in the aftermath of the Six Day War of June 1967. It allowed pedestrians to climb the 6-meter difference in height between the Western Wall Plaza and Mughrabi Gate. At the end of February 2007, a professional delegation of UNESCO visited the site, followed shortly thereafter by a Turkish inspection team.
