Israeli experts fear the possibility that an area of the Temple Mount could collapse under the weight of hundreds of thousands of Muslims expected to come to the site for Ramadan prayers.
Israel Radio reported Sunday morning that experts fear a combination of construction and earthquakes have left the foundations too weak to support the mass of people that assemble on Fridays in particular during the holy month that begins in three weeks.
While Israel’s Antiquities Authority has expressed certainty that there will be some form of collapse, the Muslim Trust, or Waqf, in which Israel has placed day-to-day authority over the Temple Mount, denies there is a problem.
Israeli officials have asked Jordan to intercede in the potentially explosive issue. Authorities have indicated that Israel will use police to prevent access to problematic areas if the Waqf does not do so itself.