By Simon Lewis

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday visited a contentious archaeological site beneath Jerusalem, giving U.S. backing to a Jewish settler-led project that critics say undermines prospects for a future Palestinian state.

The visit, from which international and local media were barred, marked the latest endorsement by the Trump administration of initiatives that opponents say are aimed at cementing Israel’s claims to East Jerusalem, which Palestinians view as the capital of a future state.

The City of David archeological park sits in the shadow of the elevated compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, a flashpoint that has triggered outbreaks of violence over the decades and remains at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The global heritage body UNESCO opposed construction of the park in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, outside of what most of the world recognizes as Israel's territory.

Rubio said he would be inaugurating a site attached to the park known as Pilgrim's Road, believed to have been traversed by visitors to Judaism's Second Temple around 2,000 years ago.

"It's one of the........

© Al Monitor