JERUSALEM — Israel on Wednesday reopened a temporary walkway leading to Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, just two days after closing it, defusing a diplomatic spat that had turned the rickety wooden ramp into a political and religious flashpoint.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, the organization in charge of the ramp and the adjacent Jewish holy site at the Western Wall, said that workers would spray the wooden bridge with fire retardant materials next week to allow it to remain open. Construction of a new ramp, which had angered Muslims, will be postponed indefinitely.
The decision was made by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the statement said.
Categories: Asia, Israel, Middle East, Muslim Heritage