Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski has ordered that work on the Mugrabi walkway be postponed in order to end the Islamic anger over the construction work. The Mayor has proposed that plans of the work be made public, and people would be able to voice their concerns. The protests that Hamas called for over the Temple Mount started off small, but eventually grew to include condemnation from Jordanian King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. 

Quote: "Lupolianski told associates Sunday that "the plan to construct the walkway engendered a wave of rumour and speculation about Israeli intentions regarding the [Al-Aqsa] mosque." "We therefore decided to be totally transparent with all residents about the walkway construction plan, so they will know clearly where it is to be built and to allow members of the public to express their positions to the zoning board," Lupolianski continued. "The move is slated to help people understand that the walkway is in no way injurious and does not enter the Temple Mount. It is important to us that there is no feeling that this was done covertly or sneakily."

It's not the first time Muslims have protested over excavations being carried out on the Temple Mount. Many believe that their concern is not because the Israeli work will undermine the foundations of the Al-Aqsa mosque, rather that any discoveries the Israelis make will undermine their claims that they have an historic right to occupy the site which once housed the First and Second Temples. Meanwhile, WorldNetDaily has published drawings of the location it is believed Solomon's Temple once stood. The octagonal shape in the middle of the picture to the right is where the Dome of the Rock currently stands. The rectangular shape to the upper right of that is where Professor Joseph Patrich believes the Second Temple was located. According to that picture though, it looks like the Temple (inner rectangle) did occupy around a third of the space now taken up by the mosque. It also looks like the Temple's outer court in this picture has been rubbed out (faint box in upper right).

Still, preparations towards the building of the Third Temple are continuing. In 2005, the Temple Institute announced they had completed the garments of the High Priest. They already have manufactured many of the implements that will be used in the Third Temple, and are training priests. But until Israel has a pure red heifer to cleanse the Temple area and the situation with the mosque is dealt with, there can be no Third Temple.

Source Haaretz, WorldNetDaily