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NEWS
Excavation Stoppage Extended at Cemetery in Acco
By Betzalel Kahn
Though little concrete progress has been made towards finding
an engineering solution to prevent the desecration of graves
in the ancient Jewish cemetery in Acco it was decided to
extend the order to cease excavation work at the site. On
Monday, prime minister Sharon ordered the Transportation
Ministry to wait another two weeks while searching for a
solution. The order came after a meeting between Sharon,
Government Secretary Yisrael Maimon, and UTJ MK Rabbi Moshe
Gafni.
An earlier meeting held at the Transportation Minister's
office brought together HaRav Efraim Tzemel, HaRav Boruch
Shraga, MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, Rabbi Michah Rothschild of the
Association for the Prevention of Grave Desecration,
Government Secretary Yisrael Maimon, the Transportation
Ministry Director-General, personnel from the Antiquities
Authority and contractors from Yeffei Nof Ltd., which is
executing the project. Various solutions were evaluated, but
no meaningful progress was made.
Officials from the Transportation Ministry and Prime
Minister's Office wanted an extension in order to continue
seeking possible solutions.
"Unfortunately there is still no progress," Rabbi Gafni told
Yated Ne'eman, "but there is a willingness to try to
find a solution and we are insisting that the solution adhere
strictly to halochoh in order to prevent harm to the Jewish
cemetery in Acco, although at present no digging is taking
place and none will take place in the coming days."
The night before the meeting at the Transportation Ministry,
Rabbi Gafni met with Government Secretary Yisrael Maimon to
discuss the gravity of the problem and the two agreed to hold
a meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
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