UNESCO: Jews have no ties to Al-Aqsa Mosque
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) approved last Thursday during a meeting in the French capital Paris, the Palestinian draft resolution, which denies any Jewish relationship with the city of Jerusalem in general and Al-Aqsa Mosque in particular.
Twenty-four members of the organization’s executive board voted in favor of the Palestinian resolution while 6 countries only objected and 26 abstained; two countries were absent.
Brazil, Algeria, Bangladesh, , Chad, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan and Vietnam voted yes for the resolution while the United States of America, Britain, Latvia, Netherlands, Estonia and Germany voted no.
No European countries backed the Palestinian decision as France, Sweden and Slovenia as well as India, Argentina and Togo shifted their votes from yes to abstain while Serbia and Turkmenistan were absent.
The resolution was prepared by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Palestine and formally submitted by the Arab Group at UNESCO, and strongly condemned the Israeli occupation’s violations against Jerusalemites, Islamic and Christian holy sites and the heritage of the city of Jerusalem.
The Executive Board confirmed the following under the decision entitled “Occupied Palestine”:
- Invalidity of all occupation’s measures that changed the status quo after the June 5 1967
- Confirming that Al-Aqsa Mosque including Al-Haram Al-Sharif is an Islamic holy site dedicated to the worship of Muslims; and Al-Rahma Gate, road of Dung Gate and the Western Wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque as well as Al-Buraq Square are all parts of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli has to allow the Jordanian Islamic Awqaf department to maintain and renovate those areas in accordance with their history before the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967. The decision showed the difference between “Al-Buraq Square” and the “Western Wall courtyard” which was expanded after 1967 and is still under illegal continuous expansion on the account of Islamic antiquities.
- Preserve the Palestinian cultural heritage and distinctive character of East Jerusalem.
- Deeply regrets the Israeli refusal to implement UNESCO previous decisions concerning Jerusalem and not abiding by international law.
- Deeply deplores the failure of Israel, the Occupying Power, to cease the persistent excavations and abide by the provisions of international conventions on this matter.
- Calls on Israel, the Occupying Power, not to intervene in any of the terms of reference of the Jordanian Awqaf Department (Religious
Foundation) in the management of the Al Aqsa Mosque Affairs. - Demanding to stop impeding the access of Palestinians to their Mosques and Churches
- Firmly deplores the continuous storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli extremists and uniformed forces and violating the sanctity and integrity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
- Strongly condemns the continuous Israeli aggressions against civilians including religious figures; Islamic and Christian.
- Requesting to stop all assaults by the so-called “Israeli Antiquities” on Al-Aqsa Mosque.
- Stresses yet again the urgent need of the implementation of the UNESCO Reactive Monitoring mission to the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls.
Jerusalemite commissions thanked the guardian on Islamic and Christian sanctities, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, for his strong and obvious impact in documenting the terminology that maintains the Arab-Islamic identity of Jerusalem in the United Nations, UNESCO and the countries of the world.
Confirming that Al-Aqsa Mosque including Al-Haram Al-Sharif is an Islamic holy site dedicated to the worship of Muslims; and Al-Rahma Gate, road of Dung Gate and the Western Wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque as well as Al-Buraq Square are all parts of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli has to allow the Jordanian Islamic Awqaf department to maintain and renovate that area in accordance with their history before the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967. The decision showed the difference between “Al-Buraq Square” and the “Western Wall courtyard” which was expanded after 1967 and is still under illegal continuous expansion on the account of Islamic antiquities.
