Jerusalem demands closure of access ramp at Al Aqsa mosque

Agence France-Presse

JERUSALEM // Jerusalem's city council has ordered the closure within a week of a wooden access ramp to the Al Aqsa mosque compound, saying the structure was "a threat to public safety".

The future of the ramp is highly controversial, with Muslim activists claiming that changes to it could damage the plaza.

They also accuse Israel of circumventing the Muslim religious authority responsible for overseeing the Muslim parts of the plaza.

The ramp is used by non-Muslim visitors to the site as well as by Israeli security forces wanting to enter the plaza.

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