JD: Talk to us about this cable car, the controversy of it.
WM: It’s controversial because a small group of people don’t like it. I guess that’s where the idea that it’s controversial comes from. But let’s take ourselves back just a little bit. The Western Wall and the Temple Mount have literally over millions of people coming to visit it together all around the year. It’s probably the most visited site in Israel.
It is very difficult to get to once you pass the age of 50 because the bus service to get into the Old City or taxies even; now buses can’t get in. And so what happens is people have to be left out by the gates and sort of walk in. You know that its steps leading down and it’s very crowded. It’s not the best way to get to a site where you have hundreds of thousands of people. And so they came up with this idea because Israel is building a whole new transit system. You’ll be able to get off your plane at Ben Gurion Airport and within 20 minutes you’re in Jerusalem with the high-speed train. I call it the advanced ski lift. And that’s the situation.
JD: Will you be able then to lets say I was in New York, fly from New York to Ben Gurion Airport get on the cable car and ultimately land right there at the Western Wall Plaza to offer your prayer?
WM: Well once you get off the plane, when you get out as I said probably between 20-25 minutes to get to Jerusalem and say another 10 minutes to get to where the cable car is going to be which is right next to the Menachem Begin Heritage Center by the way. You know on that hill opposite to Mt. Zion Hotel. I think it’s called Bible Hill or something like that in English. And then it will swing around Mt. Zion and end up another 5 minutes or so and you’re right at the entrance of the Western Wall or go up into the Temple Mount or whatever.
JD: Winkie Medad with the details on the cable car that will bring Jewish worshipers directly from the airport to the Temple Mount.
