UNESCO’s Offensive Resolution…writes Liam Getreu
Last week UNESCO passed an offensive resolution which disregards Judaism’s connection to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.
Liam Getreu
The decision has been widely condemned, including by UNESCO’s director-general. It undermines Palestinians and Israelis who are working together for a peaceful future, and serves as a call to arms for the extreme wings in each society.
I wanted to share with you a statement from our grantee, “Emek Shaveh – Archaeologists for Human Rights”, condemning UNESCO’s resolution:
A political solution for Jerusalem can only be successful if it is founded on respect for the complex heritage of each and every site in the Historic Basin. One-sided moves (physical or declarative) from both sides will score a few points internally but they keep us all from accepting each other.
The staff at Emek Shaveh, are experts in their field, and we’re proud to be part of their work to build bridges and strengthen bonds between peoples and cultures.
B’Tselem’s Presentation to the UN Security Council
We’re also proud of the work of other NIF grantees. In a presentation to the UN Security Council last week, Hagai El-Ad, the executive director of B’Tselem, said:
Israel is a sovereign country established through international legitimacy granted through a historic decision by this very institution in 1947. I am a citizen of that country. It is my homeland. For most of my country’s existence, the world has allowed it to occupy another people. I have lived my entire life, every single day of it, with that reality. Millions of Israelis and Palestinians know no other reality. We need your help. Fifty years of “temporary” occupation are too long for even a single person on this planet to accept such a contradiction in terms. The rights of Palestinians must be realized; the occupation must end; the UN Security Council must act; and the time is now.
Israeli security experts agree. They oppose the Occupation because Israel will be more secure with internationally recognised borders and a Palestinian state next door.
Unfortunately, some politicians in Israel used Hagai’s speech to attack Israel’s human rights community. As part of that community, B’Tselem is the aspect of Israel that we want to share with the world – the one that works tirelessly for equality, democracy and justice.
There is no denying that the United Nations has its faults, most recently seen with the shameful UNESCO decision.
However, overall, the Security Council, has protected Israel and its security. A resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will come only with the backing of the United States, the United Nations Security Council and European Union.
The more the US, the UNSC and the EU understand about the realities on the ground – how the conflict is affecting Israelis and Palestinians alike – the better informed they will be to work out a solution that respects the rights and security of both peoples.
Liam Getreu is the Executive Director of the New Israel Fund Australia Foundation
The UNESCO resolution is indeed offensive. But so to is the hypocritical posturing of the NIF that it and its prime fundee, B’Tselem, are Zionistic. MK Levin has aptly characterised B’Tselem’s words to the UN as traitorous.
Talk about Emek Shaveh? Where were those experts when the local mohammedans excavated the Temple Mount and built a mosque under it and at the same time attempting to destroy Jewish artifacts?
Hagai El-Ad’s UNSC testimony is a farrago of traitorous lies and pallyganda. There is no “occupation”, because there never was “Palestine” to occupy. Israel kicked out the Jordanian occupier in a defensive war. Israel has a right – as does any other state – to compensation for aggression to which the local Arabs contributed and still contribute. The international border is the Jordan River established in 1922 when Great Britain dishonoured its mandate and created Trans-Jordan on 78% of Palestine. The beastly behaviour of the self-style “Palestinian” (descendents of Arab migrants), their lies, blood-thirstiness and Jew hatred forfeits their right to nationhood.
B’Tselem’s appeal to the UNSC to impose a “peace” settlement to suit the PA/Hamas clique of cut throats and thieves, ignoring the security threat to Jews and the examples of Arabs exploiting Jewish humanity to harm Jews and their disrespect for any document they signed is treason by any standard. B’Tselem’s and the NIF’s posture shows their utter contempt for democracy. It also shows their hostility to Israel and their allegiance to green-left sturm-abteilungs.
Yes Liam, the Palestinians could have accepted Ehud Baraks offer at camp David…But they refused starting an intifada instead which in turn lead to the building of the security fence to ward off possible suicide bombers. They could also have accepted Clintons offer at Wye river.. But they refused. They could have accepted Ehud Olmerts very generous offer in 2008 which included shared rule over Jerusalem… But they didn’t bother to answer. This leads me to conclude that the do not want a state alongside Israel. They want to replace Israel with a Palestinian state or… Maybe they just like being ruled over by Israel since with Hamas in the picture, they don’t seem to be able to rule themselves.
It is both wrong and destructive to the prospects of peace to impose a solution. You state “A resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will come only with the backing of the United States, the United Nations Security Council and European Union.” For seventy years it has been apparent that this is nothing more than code language for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish nation State.
The true statement is that “A resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will come only when a Palestinian leader emerges with the support of his/her people to accept coexistence”.