U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday visited a disputed archaeological site beneath Jerusalem, lending Washington’s support to a settler-led project that critics argue jeopardises prospects for a future Palestinian state.
The visit, closed to international and local media, was the latest show of backing by the Trump administration for initiatives seen by opponents as attempts to entrench Israel’s claims to East Jerusalem – territory Palestinians regard as the capital of their future state.
The City of David archaeological park lies just below the raised compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary – one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. UNESCO has opposed construction of the park in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan, which lies outside what most of the world recognises as Israel’s borders.
Dispute over excavations
Before his trip, Rubio rejected claims that the site was political. He later posted photographs on X of himself inaugurating what he called the Pilgrimage Road, writing, “It’s a powerful reminder of the Judeo-Christian values that inspired America’s Founding Fathers.”
The excavated street is believed to have been used by worshippers heading to the Second Temple around the time of Jesus.
Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017, and the subsequent relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv, broke with decades of U.S. policy that the city’s status should be resolved through negotiations.
The visit came ahead of a United Nations. gathering in New York, where Britain, France, Canada, Australia and Belgium are expected to formally recognise a Palestinian state – a move Rubio has warned will spur Israel to take steps to block Palestinian statehood.
Silwan residents and advocacy groups say the digs have been carried out beneath Palestinian homes without consultation and fail to meet accepted archaeological standards.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not comment.
Ze’ev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs at the City of David, insisted excavations were overseen by the Israel Antiquities Authority “to the highest standards”, but declined further questions.
Silwan activist Fakhri Abu Diab accused Israel of violating international law and said Rubio’s visit effectively endorsed settlement expansion, demolitions and “ethnic cleansing”.
Park run by settler organisation
The struggle over Jerusalem’s archaeological and religious sites reflects a deeper contest for sovereignty dating back to Israel’s founding in 1948. East Jerusalem and the Old City – with its Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian quarters – were under Jordanian control after the Arab-Israeli war that year, with Jews barred from their holy places until Israel seized the territory in 1967.
Since then, Israel has pursued policies to preserve a Jewish majority in the city, while Palestinians face restrictions, home demolitions and what rights groups call systematic discrimination.
The City of David site has been managed since the early 2000s by Elad, a settler organisation accused of taking over land, acquiring Palestinian homes and pushing for the eviction of families in Silwan. A July report by the U.N. Commission of Inquiry said the park highlights only Jewish history – the Kingdom of Judea and the Second Temple period – while ignoring other cultures and eras.
Israel insists Jerusalem will always remain under its sovereignty, though it says it will guarantee access to holy places for all three Abrahamic faiths.
Israeli archaeologist Alon Arad, of the group Emek Shaveh, said the U.S. endorsement revealed close ties between America’s religious right and Jewish settlers. He pointed out that Trump’s first ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, attended a similar inauguration at the site in 2019.
Rubio’s visit began Sunday, when Netanyahu accompanied him and U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee to the Western Wall and nearby tunnels, another excavation criticised by the U.N.
A State Department spokesperson said the tour reaffirmed “America’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital.”
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