Member countries of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, have voted to renew a resolution regarding Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, the holiest site to Jews where both biblical temples once stood, and the third holiest site to Muslims termed as Haram al-Sharif. The resolution, which is renewed periodically, condemns Israel for restricting Muslim worshipers from accessing the holy site – even though Israel does so only during periods meant to defuse tension between Jews and Muslims. A draft of the latest version of the resolution posted on the UNESCO website and dated October 12th, shows the holy site was described only by its Muslim names, not once mentioning the biblical name of the site – the Temple Mount. But a Palestinian official claimed the resolution did not deny the importance of the site to Jews.
“It is the one (the vote) that raises so many concerns and opposition by some members but principally by Israel. Israel pretends that in this decision Palestinians and the Arab group denies the historic and importance of the old city of Jerusalem to the Jewish people, actually if you read the third paragraph of the decision you will see that it starts by the recognition of the historic importance for the three monotheistic religions,” said Mounir Anastas, Palestinian Delegate to UNESCO.
The claim by the Palestinian official, however, did not mention the fact that the wording used affirmed the connection of the three monotheistic religions to Jerusalem’s old city and its walls, rather than explicitly mentioning the connection of Jews and Christians to the site where both biblical temples once stood.
In response to the resolution Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defined UNESCO as a theatre of the absurd, stressing that the resolution was delusional in denying the importance of the site to Jews.
“The theatre of the absurd at UNESCO continues and today the organization adopted another delusional decision which says that the people of Israel have no connection to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.” / “To declare that Israel has no connection to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall is like saying that China has no connection to the Great Wall of China or that Egypt has no connection to the Pyramids. With this absurd resolution, UNESCO has lost what little legitimacy it had left, but I believe that the historical truth is much stronger and truth will prevail,” criticized Netanyahu.
The United States called on UNESCO not to approve the resolution by its external relations committee denying the Jewish people’s connection to the Temple Mount. US State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said that Washington was very concerned by this type of repeated political resolutions.
We have made a link to the UNESCO draft available on our TV7 Israel News Facebook page for your convenience to further study the resolution.