UNESCO to issue resolution denying Jewish ties to Al-Aqsa

UNESCO members are expected to vote on a resolution that denies Jewish links to Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Buraq (Western) Wall, agencies reported today.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz said that the resolution is expected to pass with a large majority, referring this to the inability of the Israeli lobby to persuade UNESCO members not to support the resolution.

“Israel has made efforts to block the resolution or at least soften it, but succeeded only in swaying the positions of a few member states,” Haaretz wrote.

The Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and Sudan advanced the draft resolution, which reiterates that Jerusalem is a holy city for all the three monotheistic religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

The draft also includes a section that stresses that Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred only for Muslims, also referring to it as Al-Haram Al-Sharif.

See the result of the vote >>

In April, the UNESCO executive board ratified a similar resolution, which was supported by a number of the European countries, including France.

However, after a “harsh” telephone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Francois Hollande, France promised not to support any such resolution in the future.