WJC condemns UNESCO decision to deem Old City of Hebron site in danger
World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder on Friday condemned the decision of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee to deem the Old City of Hebron, including the Tomb of the Patriarchs within its parameters, as a ‘site in danger’ through emergency procedure.
Hebron resident David Wilder explains the Cave of the Machpela
The draft resolution passed in a secret ballot with 12 in favor, six abstentions and three opposed.
“The UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s decision to deem the Old City of Hebron a ‘site in danger’ is the latest Palestinian attempt to exploit the UN for political manipulation, and it demonstrates a severe abuse of the emergency mechanism.
“It is disconcerting that UNESCO member states have adopted yet another cynical distortion of reality, a subversive attempt to rewrite history and deem the Old City of Hebron as a Muslim-Palestinian site alone while denying its historic and religious importance to Jews and Christians.
“This egregious resolution is a clear attack on Israel and will only further entrench divisions among all parties.
“The UNESCO Executive Board is set to debate another decision on Jerusalem at its session in October. We hope more members of that board will continue to recognise these biased decisions for what they are and vote against any decision that blindly attacks Israel.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added: “This is another delusional UNESCO decision.
This time they decided that the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is a Palestinian site, meaning that it is not Jewish, and that the site is in danger. Not a Jewish site?! Who is buried there? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah – our patriarchs and matriarchs! And the site is in danger? It is only in those places where Israel is, such as Hebron, that freedom of religion for all is ensured.
In the Middle East, mosques, churches and synagogues in every other place, are being bombed – in places that are not Israel. We will continue to protect the Tomb of the Patriarchs, freedom of religion for all and the truth.”
This response and garbage. In particular, read the actual UNESCO documention.
The bureacuracy is complex, and documents are hard to find.
So 1) See http://tinyurl.com/ycudbkbu and p. 44
2) See the background report
http://whc.unesco.org/…/whc17-41com-inf8B1-Add2-en.pdf
3) http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2017/whc17-41com-8B-en.pdf
Item 8 of the Provisional Agenda: Establishment of the World Heritage List and of the List of World Heritage in Danger. 8B. Nominations to the World Heritage List.
This is the resolution item which links back to (1) above.
Now is any of this anti-Semitic, denying Jewish links or heritage? Not in the slightest. The significance to both Jews, Muslims and Christians and mentioned several times. The Cave of Machpelah is mentioned. The focus is on the Muslim built enviroment (which includes the Herodian walls of the Mosque) and threats to it by the occupation.
In the background report ” it is suggested that Al Khalil/Hebron is unique as a religious place that is valued by all three monotheistic religions for similar reasons as the burial place of God’s prophet, Abraham /Ibrahim, his wife Sarah, their sons Isaac and Jacob, and their wives, Rebecca and Leah, while for other holy sites such as Jerusalem, which is also sacred for these three rel igions, the reasons behind these associations are different for each religion. ICOMOS would support this assertion, that the Al -Ibrahimi Mosque/The Tomb of Patriarchs taken alone is an outstanding building for the way it allows three religions to share one set of rites and practices”
Bibi, quoted in the Jwire report appears to have totally missed this information, going on to say “This time they decided that the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is a Palestinian site, meaning that it is not Jewish, and that the site is in danger. Not a Jewish site?! Who is buried there? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah – our patriarchs and matriarchs! And the site is in danger? It is only in those places where Israel is, such as Hebron, that freedom of religion for all is ensured.”
He should do his homework.
So the anti-semitic stuff is a crock.
You may take the view that Hebron is not occupied, that it isn’t part of Israel, but you can’t dispute the threats to the heritage and life of Hebron in the current situation. Nor can you deny that the UN reports etc take account of Jewish historical/religious interests.