Israeli authorities have ordered the closure of a pedestrian walkway in Jerusalem’s Old City that has become a flashpoint for competing religious and political claims.
Jerusalem municipality spokesman Stephan Miller said Monday the temporary ramp is dangerous and the city engineer ordered it closed.
The walkway leads up to the sacred enclosure known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. It is used by Jews and tourists, while Muslims use other entrances.
The ramp was meant to be temporary when it was built in 2004 to replace a walkway that collapsed in a snowstorm.
But the Palestinians and Jordan dispute Israel’s right to carry out any work around the compound, and the ramp’s replacement has been repeatedly delayed because of fears of violence.
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