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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CONFLICT-FRANCE-ARCHAEOLOGY
Dispute disrupts reopening of revered Jerusalem archaeological site
JERUSALEM, June 27, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – France reopened a revered but long-
closed archaeological site in the heart of Jerusalem on Thursday, but a
dispute over access immediately disrupted its reopening.
France, the owner of the site known as the Tomb of the Kings, reopened it
to visits after having kept it closed since 2010.
But concerns that it would become more of a site of religious pilgrimage
than an archaeological one immediately reemerged.
Around 15 people who had pre-registered online as required were allowed to
visit, but a group of more than a dozen ultra-Orthodox Jews who consider the
site holy pressed to enter and pray there despite not having followed
procedures.
They were prevented from entering since French officials had limited
visits to 15 people at once during set times due to the sensitivity of the
site.
Ultra-Orthodox denied access pressed toward the gate when it was opened to
try to enter.
The first group of visitors was initially blocked inside and eventually
exited through a second gate, accompanied by police.
The incident highlighted concerns over the site and may bring into
question whether it will remain open to the public.
France’s Jerusalem consulate had said in advance that the reopening would
take place under pre-arranged rules.
The 2,000-year-old archaeological gem had been closed since 2010 due to
renovations costing around a million euros ($1.1 million).
It is a remarkable example of a Roman-era tomb, considered among the
largest in the region.
Its unique status, Jewish veneration of the burial site and its location in
the disputed city added to complications in reopening it.
Archaeological sites in east Jerusalem, where the tomb is located, are
often freighted with religious significance and questions linked to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel occupied mainly Palestinian east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War
and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international
community.
It sees the entire city as its capital, while the Palestinians view the
eastern sector as the capital of their future state.
There has been a challenge at Israel’s rabbinical court — which rules on
matters related to Jewish law and holy sites — over access to the tomb and
France’s ownership.
Before reopening the site, France sought guarantees from Israel it would
not face legal challenges as well as commitments on how visits would be
managed.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews describe the tomb as a holy burial site of ancient
ancestors.
BSS/AFP/RY/1725 hrs