RAMALLAH: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates today welcomed the adoption by the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), at its 46th session held in the Indian capital, New Delhi, of the decisions related to preserving and protecting Palestinian sites registered on the World Heritage List
The sites include the Old City of Jerusalem. Its walls, the old city of Hebron, and the location of Palestine, the land of olives and grapes – the cultural landscape of the agricultural terraces south of Jerusalem – Battir.
The Ministry clarified in a statement that attempts by Israel, the occupying power, to falsify history and culture will fail, and that Palestinian diplomacy will continue its efforts to thwart all its attempts to destroy the Palestinian heritage, culture and history, and all attempts to replace facts on the ground with false narratives.
It stressed the importance of the city of Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestin
e, and preserving it from distortion or destruction, as it is the true beacon of religions, and the historical, heritage and civilizational gateway to the world, with its Muslims and Christians.
The Ministry expressed its thanks to Jordan for its efforts in adopting the Jerusalem Resolution, and working to maintain consensus in the resolution to keep the Holy City, the capital of the State of Palestine, on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
It also expressed her appreciation to the members of the World Heritage Committee for their consensus to keep the city of Hebron on the World Heritage List in Danger, especially in the face of the threat of the occupation that is trying to sabotage and Judaize the site.
The Ministry called on UNESCO and its Director-General to expose the colonial plans of the Israeli occupation, and not to encourage the illusions run by the Israeli government about undermining the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to exist.
The Ministry called on United Nations
organizations, especially UNESCO, to protect the heritage of Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine, its culture and history, and the cultural heritage in Hebron and Battir from distorting the cultural face.
The Ministry also called for the need to form real international pressure to force the Israeli government to stop all its illegal unilateral measures.
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA
