International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, October 13, 2004

Israel fears that recently renovated sections of the al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount may collapse under the weight of the thousands due to pour in for Ramadan rites later this week and wants curbs on the number of worshippers, officials admitted to Reuters recently.

Israel's Antiquities Authority said the mosque foundations in the galleries known as Solomon's Stables had become unstable from a combination of neglect, shoddy construction work, and a recent earthquake.

The eastern wall and roof risk collapse, Israeli officials said, and any structural catastrophe at the shrine would be blamed by the Islamic world on Israel.