Western Wall cable car: Netanyahu presents '5-year development plan'

At special Cabinet meeting under holy site, ministers talk about the future of the Israeli capital.

By JEREMY SHARON
Updated: MAY 29, 2017 00:07
Netanyahu speaks at a cabinet meeting in the Western Wall (credit: GPO)
In a special session of the cabinet held in the Western Wall tunnels complex Sunday morning, the government approved two massive projects to facilitate easier access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The first is an ambitious and prestigious initiative that will cost some NIS 200 million to build a cable car from the capital’s First Train Station complex to the Dung Gate of the Old City in order to improve general access to the Western Wall.
The second will be to build an elevator to provide greater accessibility from the Jewish Quarter to the Western Wall plaza.
The government on Sunday approved NIS 15m. for the preliminary stages of the cable car project and another NIS 50m. plan to build the elevator, which has received all the necessary permits.
Currently the only pedestrian access down to the Western Wall from the Jewish Quarter and back up to it is via a long set of stairs.
That creates problems for those with limited mobility, as well as for families with strollers.
Access is also available from just inside the Dung Gate, or from two points coming from the Muslim Quarter, although one of these is also via a long staircase and the other requires a lengthy walk, down many stairs, through the Old City market.
The elevator project has been in the works for the last 13 years but has only now been approved.
Construction can begin immediately, however, since all the required permits have already been obtained.
The entrance to the elevator will be stationed on Misgav Ladach Street in the Jewish Quarter and will descend 26 meters to the level of the Western Wall plaza. A pedestrian tunnel, meanwhile, will be constructed from the exit of the elevator to a security check point leading out to the site.
The entrance to the elevator will be stationed on Misgav Ladach Street in the Jewish Quarter and will descend 26 meters to the level of the Western Wall plaza. A pedestrian tunnel, meanwhile, will be constructed from the exit of the elevator to a security check point leading out to the site.