Israel suspends ties with UNESCO in spat over Jerusalem holy site

[RazorMC]

Israel suspends ties with UNESCO in spat over Jerusalem holy site

By Oren Liebermann, CNN
Updated 1812 GMT (0212 HKT) October 14, 2016

Jews call the holy site the Temple Mount, and Muslims know it as Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary.
Story highlights

• Draft decision by UNESCO body refers to Jerusalem holy site only by Muslim name
• Israeli leader says decision is like saying "Egypt has no connection to the Pyramids"

Jerusalem (CNN)Israel has suspended ties with UNESCO, the UN body in charge of preserving culture and history, after a draft decision that Israel says ignores Judaism's ties to the religion's holiest site.

The draft decision notes the importance of Jerusalem to all three monotheistic religions -- Christianity, Judaism and Islam -- but makes no mention of why the city is significant to Christians or Jews. A subsidiary body of UNESCO's Executive Board passed the resolution Thursday in Paris.
It refers to Jerusalem's holiest site -- known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary -- only by its Muslim name.

The draft decision, which largely criticizes Israel's actions in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, was proposed by a group of Arab countries and drew harsh rebukes from Israel and the United States.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the move as absurd, saying: "To say 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. By this absurd decision, UNESCO has lost what little legitimacy it has left."

In a letter from Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett following the vote, Israel announced it will freeze all professional activities with UNESCO.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner also criticized the decision. "We are deeply concerned about these kinds of recurring, politicized resolutions that do nothing to advance constructive results on the ground. And we don't believe they should be adopted," Toner said.

The United States stopped funding UNESCO in 2011 over the organization's acceptance of a Palestinian bid for full membership. Washington had contributed $80 million a year to the organization before then.
In April, UNESCO passed a similar decision that Israel and other countries also harshly criticized.

This week's resolution, put forward by Arab countries including Egypt, Algeria and Qatar, was adopted by a 24-6 vote, with 26 abstentions.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lauded the decision.
"Palestine will continue to defend the rights of our people through all available legal and diplomatic avenues, including UN organizations," a ministry statement said. "Our peaceful agenda will not be derailed by propaganda, nor will our tolerance and adherence to international law by altered by fallacies and cynical spin."

To Jews and Christians, the Temple Mount is the site of the foundation stone on which Adam was created and the site where Abraham came to sacrifice his son Isaac. To Jews, it is also the site of the First and Second Temples. To Muslims, it is the site where the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven on his miraculous "night journey."

Responding to Israel's criticism in a statement, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova suggested she wasn't pleased with the decision.

"The outstanding universal value of the City, and the reason why it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, lies in this synthesis, which is an appeal for dialogue, not confrontation," Bokova said. "When these divisions carry over into UNESCO, an organization dedicated to dialogue and peace, they prevent us from carrying out our mission."

Bennett, the Israeli education minister, welcomed Bokova's statement but said it wasn't enough, calling on UNESCO to cancel the decision. "Words are important, but they are not a replacement to the actions of the organization she heads."

The draft decision will go before a full plenary of the UNESCO Executive Board on Tuesday. It will either be adopted unanimously, or be the subject of further debate and a possible vote.

CNN's Andrew Carey and Abeer Salman contributed to this report.

Link

 

[SirofEnglish]

Cool as ice ...Hot like tea ........thats what i was thinking .......Me heard many Muslims live in Russia .......its like a by power gets hold of a city they call holly..........they can crush my Head in a moment along the usa and HOW ABOUT MUSLIMs living in USA are they aware ..............???? a thousand more bills to go but will get ban so sorry still to go they do live in ,France , we also stand with them as Hindus ........no 1 can try our holy Places ....But chews are Just toO much or usa ........

 

[DavidSling]

Cool as ice ...Hot like tea ........thats what i was thinking .......Me heard many Muslims live in Russia .......its like a by power gets hold of a city they call holly..........they can crush my Head in a moment along the usa and HOW ABOUT MUSLIMs living in USA are they aware ..............???? a thousand more bills to go but will get ban so sorry still to go they do live in ,France , we also stand with them as Hindus ........no 1 can try our holy Places ....But chews are Just toO much or usa ........

can somebody crack this message?

 

[Śakra]

...no 1 can try our holy Places

Prayag was renamed Allahbad

 

[SirofEnglish]

can somebody crack this message?

Its foolishness to even argue .....you people are like me ...laathoon ka bhooth batoon se nahin manthaaa .......

Prayag was renamed Allahbad

Great maldam .....actually .......pass it ........their is nothing renamed .......other then .......useless.....nowadays its called ............thinking ......or ............HIGH LEVEL THINKING ....if talks can resolve any issue ........Why is action for ..???

 

[Śakra]

Great maldam .....actually .......pass it ........their is nothing renamed .......other then .......useless.....nowadays its called ............thinking ......or ............HIGH LEVEL THINKING ....if talks can resolve any issue ........Why is action for ..???

Ay Kya Bolti Tu

 

[SirofEnglish]

Ay Kya Bolti Tu

yee main thohariii bolyyiaan naa janoon hoon kya ko .........itnain ghaam diya me ko zamanaain nain .......isko fhench bolwatay haingayyy

 

[The Eagle]

Israel angered as UNESCO adopts Jerusalem resolution

By AFP
Published: October 19, 2016

The Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem is Islam's third holiest site but the area is also venerated by Jews as the Temple Mount, the most sacred place in Judaism. PHOTO: AFP

PARIS: The UN cultural agency on Tuesday adopted an Arab-sponsored resolution condemning Israel’s actions at a flashpoint holy site in east Jerusalem, deepening anger in the Jewish state.

The UNESCO resolution on “occupied Palestine” was endorsed Tuesday by the agency’s executive board at its headquarters in Paris, after being approved at the committee stage last week.

Referring throughout to “the occupying power,” it condemns Israel for restricting Muslims’ access to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound — Islam’s third holiest site — and criticises damage by security forces to the site and nearby excavations.

It is the latest episode in a series of rows at UNESCO, which is responsible for protecting important heritage sites and is one of few international organisations that recognises Palestine as a member state.

Israel suspended its cooperation with UNESCO last week in response to the draft resolution and its ambassador, Carmel Shama Hacohen, accused the Palestinians of playing “games” on Tuesday.

“This is the wrong place to solve problems between countries or people,” he told AFP.

Israel is furious that the resolution refers to the Old City site in Jerusalem by its Muslim name, Al-Aqsa or Al-Haram al-Sharif.

It is considered holy by Muslims, Christians and Jews. Jews refer to it as the Temple Mount and it is considered the holiest site in Judaism.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu complained last week that saying “Israel has no connection to the Temple Mount and Western Wall is like saying China has no connection to the Great Wall of China or Egypt has no connection to the pyramids”.

While acknowledging the importance of the Old City to “the three monotheistic religions” — Islam, Judaism and Christianity — the resolution focuses on Israeli restrictions on Muslims accessing the mosque.

Israel slams UNESCO over ‘Occupied Jerusalem’

It also includes condemnation of Israel’s blockade of Gaza and “constant aggressions by the Israeli settlers” in the West Bank.

Violations

Deputy Palestinian ambassador to UNESCO, Mounir Anastas, welcomed the decision on Tuesday.

“This resolution reminds Israel that they are the occupying power in east Jerusalem, and it asks them to stop all their violations, especially in the fields of competence of UNESCO such as the excavations,” he told reporters.

Since 2011 when Palestine was admitted to UNESCO, the body has been the scene of numerous diplomatic spats resulting from resolutions condemning Israel, most recently in April but also in October last year.

Jewish men take part in the Cohanim prayer (priest’s blessing) during the Pesach (Passover) holiday at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on April 25, 2016. PHOTO: AFP

The east Jerusalem site is a 14-hectare (35-acre) rectangular esplanade at the southeast corner of the Old City which was seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move never internationally recognised.

Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital, but the Palestinians want the eastern sector as capital of their future state.

Unease in UNESCO

The atmosphere before the vote on Tuesday was soured further by threats received by telephone and on social media last week following a vote on the draft resolution, a UNESCO official said.

The text had created unease at the top of the organisation, with Michael Worbs, who chairs UNESCO’s executive board, saying he would have liked more time to work out a compromise.

The resolution was voted on last Thursday at the committee stage, with 24 votes in favour, six against and 26 abstentions. There were two absentees.

Israel arrests Palestinian football coach after team praised attacker

UNESCO chief Irina Bokova also distanced herself from the resolutions, saying in a statement that “nowhere more than in Jerusalem do Jewish, Christian and Muslim heritage and traditions share space.”

Israel’s envoy to UNESCO defended the Jewish state’s suspension of its cooperation with the organisation as a “proportional reaction” to the resolution passed on Tuesday.

“I hope it will not last long,” Shama Hacohen told AFP.

He also saw Mexico’s decision to change its position Tuesday from voting in favour of the resolution to abstaining as a small victory.

“We hope it will come to a point that the Palestinians understand that there is no place for these games at UNESCO,” he said.

The UN body also on Tuesday adopted a separate, less controversial resolution on schools in Palestinian territories.

 

[Solomon2]

@salarsikander : what is your take on all this? Are you proud that Pakistan voted in favor of refusing to recognize Jews' connection to Jerusalem?

 

[salarsikander]

@salarsikander : what is your take on all this? Are you proud that Pakistan voted in favor of refusing to recognize Jews' connection to Jerusalem?

I do not take the Zionist doctored version of history. The Real TORAH JEWS can you give much better explanation on this

 

[Solomon2]

I do not take the Zionist doctored version of history...

I'm sure you don't. After all, in Pakistan believing in the "Palestinian" narrative is mandatory and cannot be questioned in universities and therefore schools further down the scale; how could I expect you to say otherwise?

No, I asked if you were PROUD that Pakistan voted for this.

 

[salarsikander]

I'm sure you don't. After all, in Pakistan believing in the "Palestinian" narrative is mandatory and cannot be questioned in universities and therefore schools further down the scale; how could I expect you to say otherwise?

No, I asked if you were PROUD that Pakistan voted for this.

I am afraid, I am nothing but a gentile. Whose opinion does not dictate reality of Zionist state all. But I am sure the ''Judaism'' which has been hacked by extremists zionist have something else to say. The real TORAH JEWS seems to have another idea for illegal state. And they alone hold the authenticity, not some extremist ideology


http://www.nkusa.org/AboutUs/Zionism/opposition.cfm

 

[Hyde]

It sounds like Israel's stance us correct in this case. I only wish Jerusalem to be declared as a free state one day similar to Vatican city but free from every other nation. It must have visa free policy for all nations and its citizens must be allowed to travel everywhere in the world.

It will bring massive tourism to the country and can set great example of co-existance amongst the Muslim-Christian-Jew community. It will bring so much money into the region, peace and prosperity for all.... but yeah it ain't gonnai happen so no point really

 

[Solomon2]

Now, I wonder what really angered the Israel for UN however, did Israel present this case as you mentioned above to UN in rebuttal...?

The anti-Zionist vote shows current UNESCO members are interested in narrative, not evidence. UNESCO's own director-general opposes this movement:

14.10.2016 - UNESCOPRESS
Statement by the Director-General of UNESCO on the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, a UNESCO World Heritage site


© UNESCO/Ignacio Marin - Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General

Paris, 14 October—“As I have stated on many occasions, and most recently during the 40th session of the World Heritage Committee, Jerusalem is the sacred city of the three monotheistic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is in recognition of this exceptional diversity, and this cultural and religious coexistence, that it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
“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. 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.

“Nowhere more than in Jerusalem do Jewish, Christian and Muslim heritage and traditions share space and interweave to the point that they support each other. These cultural and spiritual traditions build on texts and references, known by all, that are an intrinsic part of the identities and history of peoples. In the Torah, Jerusalem is the capital of King David, where Solomon built the Temple and placed the Ark of the Covenant. In the Bible, Jerusalem is the city of the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Quran, Jerusalem is the third holiest site in Islam, where Muhammad arrived after his night journey from Al Haram Mosq (Mecca) to Al Aqsa.

“In this microcosm of humanity’s spiritual diversity, different peoples worship the same places, sometimes under different names. The recognition, use of and respect for these names is paramount. The Al Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram al-Sharif, the sacred shrine of Muslims, is also the Har HaBayit – or Temple Mount – whose Western Wall is the holiest place in Judaism, a few steps away from the Saint Sepulcher and the Mount of Olives revered by Christians.

“The outstanding universal value of the City, and the reason why it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, lies in this synthesis, which is an appeal for dialogue, not confrontation. We have a collective responsibility to strengthen this cultural and religious coexistence, by the power of acts and also by the power of words. This requirement is stronger than ever, to bridge the divisions that harm the multi-faith character of the Old City.

“When these divisions carry over into UNESCO, an Organization dedicated to dialogue and peace, they prevent us from carrying out our mission. UNESCO's responsibility is to foster this spirit of tolerance and respect for history, and this is my absolute daily determination as Director-General, with all Member States. I am committed to this under all circumstances, because this is our raison d’être -- to recall that we are one single humanity and that tolerance is the only way forward in a world of diversity.”​

Israel occupied something that lost many a years ago.

Current Pakistani education ill-prepares you to judge such matters - indeed, it forbids it. You may quake to oppose such nonsense but the least you can do is not promote it, yes? And Israeli diplomats think the day the majority of the U.N. swings to Israel's side is only a decade away. Will Pakistan be prepared for it?

 

[The Eagle]

Current Pakistani education ill-prepares you to judge such matters - indeed, it forbids it. You may quake to oppose such nonsense but the least you can do is not promote it, yes? And Israeli diplomats think the day the majority of the U.N. swings to Israel's side is only a decade away. Will Pakistan be prepared for it?

That is your perception about Pakistan's education system or I can say the same about the education system of yours being that much sided opinion. Now, as being habitual of manipulation, first you quoted a part of my quote form a different thread to another then from another to here, atleast says much about what you have been always up-to, manipulation. What Israeli diplomats thinks is up-to them to think but the real deal is what currently decided. Rest about preparation, you must be aware of saying "prepare for the worst". If UN swing to Israeli side contrary to the facts, will it have a worthy say in any matter being biased?, I think not so let the Court/UN forum decide based upon the record and facts produced before her rather than being influenced or having a tilted stance.