Israel Opens Secret Tender for Construction of New Mughrabi Gate Bridge

Jerusalem, MINA – Construction companies in Israel have been invited to submit tenders for the construction of a new bridge to replace the old, obsolete bridge, namely the Mughrabi Gate Bridge that connects the Al-Buraq (Western Wall) courtyard to the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.

Companies wishing to bid have been asked to sign a confidentiality clause, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Thursday.

The confidentiality clause is to make a statement, which states: “I hereby undertake to maintain the complete and absolute confidentiality of the confidential information and any details related to or derived from it, and not to publish or disclose in any way in the presence of any person or entity and all for an indefinite period of time” as quoted from MEMO.

A site visit had been organized for the contractors last month and they had been told the work had to be completed within two months of starting, the newspaper said.

The bridge was built of wood in 2004 and is currently in a precarious condition, allowing it to be used for only a few months.

The Mughrabi Gate is the only door leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque whose key belongs to the occupation after it was taken from the Islamic Waqf in 1967.

Israel allows tourists and Israelis to enter the Muslim holy site through doors, including right-wing doors, for Knesset members and settlers who stormed the area to hold prayers.

Al-Aqsa represents the third holiest site in the world for Muslims, while Jews refer to the area as the “Temple Mountain”, claiming that it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)