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US Secretary of State the chief US diplomat has inaugurated a disputed archaeological tourism site managed by an Jewish settlement organization in disputed East Jerusalem.

America's top diplomat was a honored participant at the inauguration of the so-called "Pilgrim's Path", a tunnel excavated under local residences near Jerusalem's Old City.

The opening ceremony took place at the City of David, a biblical tourism site run by the Jewish settlement group in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Wadi Hilweh.

The Secretary's participation was denounced by Palestinian rights groups as giving US backing to Israel's "grip of settlement" close to Jerusalem's most sensitive holy sites.

Local Inhabitants Confront Eviction Notices

Inhabitants of the neighborhood have for years faced eviction orders and property destructions to make way for Jewish settlements and the expansion of the heritage site, according to advocacy organizations. Israeli settlements are prohibited under international law.

"Among the world's most significant historical discoveries", the Secretary characterized the excavation, stating it had profound significance to Americans in the US. He previously said he recognized "people want to involve politics in it"… "But at the end of the day, it's an extraordinary archaeological site".

Local Viewpoints

Silwan resident a community representative, in his sixties, said Mr Rubio was siding with hardliners in the Tel Aviv administration instead of being on the side of international law.

"Our heritage is being overlooked", he said. "He isn't visiting when they are demolishing our homes, ethnic cleansing and kicking us out of here".

The resident spoke beside the mangled wreckage of his home, which was torn down last year at the order of Israeli authorities. Israel says such properties are constructed illegally, but permits are exceedingly difficult for Palestinians to secure.

Settler Role and International Reaction

The archaeological park has been operated since the beginning of the century by a settler organization, which has appropriated land, acquired local houses and advocated for the eviction of residents in the area, according to a July report by the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry.

Ze'ev Orenstein of the City of David told news agencies: "All the archaeological excavations are carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority according to the highest standards". He declined to answer further questions.

The project is said to mark the path of a ancient street taken by pilgrims to the site sacred in Judaism as the location of two Biblical temples. As reported by an Israeli advocacy group, the passageway extends 0.6 kilometers from the neighborhood, running underneath Palestinian homes and the historic fortifications, ending close to the base of the Kotel.

The group called Rubio's visit "a clear US endorsement of Israeli control over a highly contested area". The group added: "This move undermines Jerusalem's multi-religious character and disregards the rights of its diverse inhabitants".