World Jewish News

'UNESCO manufactures history'

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) accused the UNESCO World Heritage Committee of “manufacturing history” after it adopted last week a new resolution seeking to erase the Jewish connection to Jerusalem and the holy sites.

The resolution, entitled “Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls,” which included a long litany of biased accusations against Israel, was voted on and approved by secret ballot, with 10 voting in favor, eight opposed, two abstentions and one delegate, from Jamaica, absent.

Similar to prior resolutions passed by UNESCO political bodies, including the resolution passed on October 13 by the UN body’s Executive Board, the new resolution refers to the Temple Mount/Holy Sanctuary solely as “Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif,” declaring it “a Muslim holy site of worship and as an integral part of a World Heritage Site.” It also included numerous highly politicized allegations and false charges against Israel. Unlike the resolution passed earlier this month, it did not mention Jerusalem’s importance to the three monotheistic religions.

‘’Once again, a UNESCO body has made itself complicit with a perverse Palestinian campaign to manufacture a history that does not include Jews in the Holy Land,’’ said Marvin D. Nathan, ADL National Chair, and Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO, in a stgatement.

‘’Charged with protecting and implementing the World Heritage Convention, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has endorsed a false depiction of one of the world’s most ancient holy sites. To ignore or deny the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount is to ignore or deny what makes Jerusalem so holy and resonant for the world, including the Christian community,’’ they added. ADL noted that 11 out of 21 member states did not vote in favor of this resolution, either through opposition, abstention or their absence. ‘’We further note the important statements of past weeks by international leaders who have opposed these resolutions, including UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

‘’The Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Shimon Samuels, congratulated Tanzania for cracking the Palestinian conception of “consensus” - as meaning unanimity - by demanding a secret ballot.

American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris said in a statement: ‘’Member states of two UNESCO bodies have thrown truth to the wind. Instead, thy have succumbed to the pernicious designs of the Palestinian Authority and Arab countries that have long sought to exploit this forum to castigate Israel and deny the indisputable link of the Jewish people with Jerusalem. It would be like refusing to recognize Islam’s connection to Mecca and Catholicism’s ties to Rome.’’

Roz Rothstein, CEO of the pro-Israel group StandWithUs, said:“Through these polarizing and mendacious resolutions, UNESCO is inciting dangerous ill will against Israel, the Jewish people and Judaism. This puts UNESCO in the position of both sanctioning the world’s ‘oldest hate’ of anti-Semitism and destroying the confidence of millions in it as a credible agency of the United Nations. Indeed, UNESCO has allowed itself to become a vehicle for fomenting conflict, intolerance, misunderstanding and injustice in stark contrast to its aim ‘to contribute to the building of peace’ and ‘intercultural dialogue.’’ He continued: ’ These resolutions render UNESCO ineffective in creating the cultural bridges between Israelis and Palestinians that are so sorely needed.”

EJP