The resolution that was just passed criticizes Israel for a number of things, including for considering the Mearat Hamachpela and Kever Rachel as Israeli heritage sites, and also for its actions on Al Aksa - Haram Al Sharif, and it ignores any Israeli historical and cultural connection to Temple Mount.
The United Nations position interests me less, as it has already come to be expected. What interests me more is Prime Minister Netanyahu's reaction to the UNESCO position. Netanyahu responded by saying, "This is yet another absurd UN decision. UNESCO ignores the unique historic connection of Judaism to the Temple Mount, where the two temples stood for a thousand years and to which every Jew in the world has prayed for thousands of years.The UN is rewriting a basic part of human history and has again proven that there is no low to which it will not stoop."
Yes, it is absurd. Yes, UNESCO is ignoring the Jewish connection. Yes, UNESCO is ignoring history.
But can we blame them? They are coming in with an anti-Israel bias? And what do they have to take as proof otherwise, to rethink their positions? All they see is Netanyahu and his governments ignoring the same history. All they see is Netanyahu denying the connection and authority Jews have over Temple Mount.
When Netanyahu severely limits Jewish access to Temple Mount, to allow Jews on in a way that considers them less than tourists, can you blame UNESCO for thinking the same? When Netanyahu lets the Waqf and Jordan almost entirely control the goings-on on Temple Mount, can you blame UNESCO for thinking that they really should be the ultimate authority? When you see Netanyahu denying the Jewish connection by not letting Jews pray, even to pray silently, on Temple Mount, can you really blame UNESCO for denying the connection?
If Prime Minister Netanyahu is so appalled at the way UNESCO relates to Temple Mount, perhaps he should look inwards and reconsider how he himself relates to it.
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I am not sure that avoiding a (civil) war is the same as denying a connection, but that only brings into question 1 of 3 sites.
ReplyDeleteNot even Muslims disagree that Avraham was the common ancestor of both Arabs and Jews, so I'm kind of interested in how they deny a Jewish connection to that site. Kever Rachel is flat out ridiculous, unless Islam claims that somehow Rachel was Arab, by birth or marriage.