Israel suspended cooperation with UNESCO on Friday after the UN cultural organisation adopted two resolutions on annexed east Jerusalem ahead of a final vote next week.
In a letter sent to UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, Education Minister Naftali Bennett accused the body of ignoring "thousands of years of Jewish ties to Jerusalem" and aiding "Islamist terror."
"I have notified the Israel National Commission for UNESCO to suspend all professional activities with the international organisation," he said.
The resolutions refer to "Occupied Palestine" and aim to "safeguard the Palestinian cultural heritage and the distinctive character of East Jerusalem," according to a text seen by AFP.
Bokova distanced herself from the resolutions in a statement, saying "nowhere more than in Jerusalem do Jewish, Christian and Muslim heritage and traditions share space."
“The heritage of Jerusalem is indivisible, and each of its communities has a right to the explicit recognition of their history and relationship with the city,” the official added.
"To deny, conceal or erase any of the Jewish, Christian or Muslim traditions undermines the integrity of the site, and runs counter to the reasons that justified its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list," she said. "When these divisions carry over into UNESCO, an organization dedicated to dialogue and peace, they prevent us from carrying out our mission."
Bennett responded to the statement describing it as an "insufficient" measure to assuage the blow of the vote.
'Enormous anti-Israel bias'
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump also blasted UNESCO, calling the resolution "further evidence of the enormous anti-Israel bias of the UN."
In a Facebook post, Trump said that if he were to be elected as president Jerusalem would be recognized as Israel's capital by the United States.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's foreign policy adviser Laura Rosenberer reacted to the decision by saying: "It's outrageous that UNESCO would deny the deep, historic connection between Judaism and the Temple Mount."
"As Secretary of State, Hillary fought to defend Israel against biased resolutions like there at the United Nations and other international organizations and would proudly do so again as President."
24 UNESCO member states voted in favor of the resolution, 26 abstained, and only six countries voted against.
The draft resolution, a copy of which was obtained by Ha'aretz, acknowledges that the city of Jerusalem is holy to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity but says the Temple Mount holy site is sacred only to Muslims and fails to mention its significance to Jews.
An entire section of the proposal dedicated specifically to the Temple Mount complex refers only to the site's Muslim names (Al-Aqsa Mosque and Haram al-Sharif) and fails to mention its Hebrew or English names (Har HaBayit or Temple Mount).
The resolution refers also to the Western Wall plaza by its Muslim name (al-Buraq plaza) and only mentions its Hebrew-Jewish name (Hakotel Hama'aravi) later in quotation marks.
The flashpoint complex is considered Judaism's holiest site, once the site of the first and second Temples, and is the third holiest to the Muslim faith.
Israeli politicians, led by President Reuven Rivlin, were quick to condemn the vote on Thursday, slamming the resolution even before the vote had taken place in Paris.
“No forum or body in the world can come and deny the connection between the Jewish people, the Land of Israel and Jerusalem – and any such body that does so simply embarrasses itself,” he said at an event in his Jerusalem residence. “We can understand criticism, but you cannot change history.”
Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling on him to act by encouraging nations to end funding for the UN.
“We in the government in general, and you as the foreign minister, should demand that the nations of the world condemn these anti-Semitic decisions, and immediately stop funding the UN,” he wrote.
He also called for the government to "strengthen the Temple Mount, and to to increase the control and Jewish presence in the holiest place for Jews — the Temple Mount."
Opposition leader Isaac Herzog said UNESCO is giving a “bad name to diplomacy.”
“Whoever wants to rewrite history, to distort fact, and to completely invent the fantasy that the Western Wall and Temple Mount have no connection to the Jewish people, is telling a terrible lie that only serves to increase hatred,” he said. “On this matter there is no disagreement among the people of Israel, and I urge UNESCO to withdraw this bizarre resolution and to engage in protecting, not distorting, human history.”
UNESCO passed a similar resolution in April referring to the Temple Mount solely as Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall as the Al-Buraq Plaza drawing harsh condemnations from Israel.
Israeli diplomats have over recent weeks attempted to convince UNESCO member states to oppose or at least abstain during the vote.
[i24news.tv]
14/10/16
In a letter sent to UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, Education Minister Naftali Bennett accused the body of ignoring "thousands of years of Jewish ties to Jerusalem" and aiding "Islamist terror."
"I have notified the Israel National Commission for UNESCO to suspend all professional activities with the international organisation," he said.
The resolutions refer to "Occupied Palestine" and aim to "safeguard the Palestinian cultural heritage and the distinctive character of East Jerusalem," according to a text seen by AFP.
Bokova distanced herself from the resolutions in a statement, saying "nowhere more than in Jerusalem do Jewish, Christian and Muslim heritage and traditions share space."
“The heritage of Jerusalem is indivisible, and each of its communities has a right to the explicit recognition of their history and relationship with the city,” the official added.
"To deny, conceal or erase any of the Jewish, Christian or Muslim traditions undermines the integrity of the site, and runs counter to the reasons that justified its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list," she said. "When these divisions carry over into UNESCO, an organization dedicated to dialogue and peace, they prevent us from carrying out our mission."
Bennett responded to the statement describing it as an "insufficient" measure to assuage the blow of the vote.
'Enormous anti-Israel bias'
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump also blasted UNESCO, calling the resolution "further evidence of the enormous anti-Israel bias of the UN."
In a Facebook post, Trump said that if he were to be elected as president Jerusalem would be recognized as Israel's capital by the United States.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's foreign policy adviser Laura Rosenberer reacted to the decision by saying: "It's outrageous that UNESCO would deny the deep, historic connection between Judaism and the Temple Mount."
"As Secretary of State, Hillary fought to defend Israel against biased resolutions like there at the United Nations and other international organizations and would proudly do so again as President."
24 UNESCO member states voted in favor of the resolution, 26 abstained, and only six countries voted against.
- The proposal, put forth by the Palestinians, along with Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and Sudan, condemns Israel on several issues related to Jerusalem and its holy sites.
The draft resolution, a copy of which was obtained by Ha'aretz, acknowledges that the city of Jerusalem is holy to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity but says the Temple Mount holy site is sacred only to Muslims and fails to mention its significance to Jews.
An entire section of the proposal dedicated specifically to the Temple Mount complex refers only to the site's Muslim names (Al-Aqsa Mosque and Haram al-Sharif) and fails to mention its Hebrew or English names (Har HaBayit or Temple Mount).
The resolution refers also to the Western Wall plaza by its Muslim name (al-Buraq plaza) and only mentions its Hebrew-Jewish name (Hakotel Hama'aravi) later in quotation marks.
The flashpoint complex is considered Judaism's holiest site, once the site of the first and second Temples, and is the third holiest to the Muslim faith.
Israeli politicians, led by President Reuven Rivlin, were quick to condemn the vote on Thursday, slamming the resolution even before the vote had taken place in Paris.
“No forum or body in the world can come and deny the connection between the Jewish people, the Land of Israel and Jerusalem – and any such body that does so simply embarrasses itself,” he said at an event in his Jerusalem residence. “We can understand criticism, but you cannot change history.”
Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling on him to act by encouraging nations to end funding for the UN.
“We in the government in general, and you as the foreign minister, should demand that the nations of the world condemn these anti-Semitic decisions, and immediately stop funding the UN,” he wrote.
He also called for the government to "strengthen the Temple Mount, and to to increase the control and Jewish presence in the holiest place for Jews — the Temple Mount."
Opposition leader Isaac Herzog said UNESCO is giving a “bad name to diplomacy.”
“Whoever wants to rewrite history, to distort fact, and to completely invent the fantasy that the Western Wall and Temple Mount have no connection to the Jewish people, is telling a terrible lie that only serves to increase hatred,” he said. “On this matter there is no disagreement among the people of Israel, and I urge UNESCO to withdraw this bizarre resolution and to engage in protecting, not distorting, human history.”
UNESCO passed a similar resolution in April referring to the Temple Mount solely as Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall as the Al-Buraq Plaza drawing harsh condemnations from Israel.
Israeli diplomats have over recent weeks attempted to convince UNESCO member states to oppose or at least abstain during the vote.
[i24news.tv]
14/10/16
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