Unesco Draft Resolution Raises Israel’s Ire The resolution, up for formal approval next week, criticizes Israel’s actions toward some holy sites in Jerusalem By Rory Jones see note please
http://www.wsj.com/articles/unesco-draft-resolution-raises-israels-ire-1476387326
There is not a single issue associated with the UN- a tribunal for tyrants and war criminals- that does not bash Israel. rsk
TEL AVIV—The United Nations’ cultural agency on Thursday passed a draft resolution that played down Jewish ties to religious sites in Jerusalem, in a decision Israel called “absurd.”
The resolution from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or Unesco, heavily criticized Israel’s actions toward holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City.
The resolution omitted the Jewish name for a shrine holy to both Jews and Muslims. Instead, it referred to what Jews call the Temple Mount as the Haram Al-Sharif, as it is known to Muslims.
A 58-member committee passed the draft resolution, put forward by Arab states at meeting in Paris, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity as the resolution isn’t official yet.
It will be referred to Unesco’s executive board for formal approval next week and isn’t expected to be challenged, the person said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the failure to acknowledge the Jews’ connection to the Temple Mount was “absurd” and called the U.N. and Unesco a “moral farce.”
“What’s next? A Unesco decision denying the connection between peanut butter and jelly? Batman and Robin? Rock and roll?” he said in a statement posted to Facebook.
The Temple Mount is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, and is also where two renowned Jewish temples once stood. The plaza is abutted by the Western Wall, which is also sacred to Jews.
In the resolution, published online, Unesco affirmed the importance of the Old City of Jerusalem to Islam, Christianity and Judaism. But it was also critical of Israel’s actions in the city, citing excavations of historic sites and restrictions on Palestinian visitation.
It repeatedly called Israel the “occupying power,” referring to what Palestinians label Israeli occupation of the Old City.
Israel won control of East Jerusalem and the Old City from Jordan in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.
Comments are closed.
