World Jewish Congress condemns UNESCO decision to deem Old City of Hebron site in danger

NEW YORK - 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.  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 recognize these biased decisions for what they are and vote against any decision that blindly attacks Israel.”​