Politics foil replacing hazardous bridge to Jerusalem site

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli experts say a rickety bridge allowing access to Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site is at risk of collapse. But the flashpoint shrine’s delicate position at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is preventing its repair. The tenuous state of the Mughrabi Bridge has raised fears of another disaster — months after a stampede at a religious festival left 45 people dead. The bridge is the sole access point for non-Muslims to reach the contested hilltop compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The bridge was built as a temporary measure in 2004.