Israel on Friday halted its cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation after the agency accepted a draft resolution that "denies the Jewish connection to sacred sites in Jerusalem". According to AP, the draft resolution nearly dismisses Judaism's links to two major holy sites in the city. It was submitted by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan on Thursday.
The draft is perceived by Israelis and Jews as the latest development that indicates Unesco's anti-Israeli bias. According to AP, it only mentions the Muslim name when referring to a particular site, which is known as the Noble Sanctuary by followers of Islam and as the Temple Mount by Jews. The document also mentions the Muslim sacred site of Al-Buraq Plaza without quotations but refers to the site's Jewish name, the Western Wall Plaza, in inverted commas.
While the Palestinian government and extremist group Hamas welcomed the draft resolution, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the organisation had "lost its legitimacy by adopting this resolution", Al Jazeera reported. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said, "Would Unesco vote to deny the Christian connection to the Vatican? Or the Muslim connection to Mecca?"
Director-General of Unesco Irina Bokova said, "...Different peoples worship the same places, sometimes under different names. The recognition, use of and respect for these names is paramount." The final draft is expected to be released next week.
In 1967, Israel had seized east Jerusalem, which has sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Palestinians claim the territory as their own in their bid for self-determination. The city has been a victim of violence as a result of these disputing claims for several decades.
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