The Palestinian government has removed a report claiming that Jerusalem's Western Wall isn't holy to Jews from an official website, after it provoked furious reaction.

The five-page report has been condemned by the U.S. and Israel as incorrect and provocative.

Palestinian officials would not comment on the report Wednesday. But its author, Al-Mutawakil Taha, a civil servant in the Information Ministry, says he stands by it.

The Western Wall is the holiest place where Jews can pray. It was a retaining wall of the compound where the biblical Temples stood 20 centuries ago. The Al-Aqsa compound, Islam's third-holiest site, is built on the ruins.

The clashing claims highlight the sensitivities surrounding Jerusalem, one of the key issues in peace negotiations.