UNESCO to repeat vote ruling no Jewish link to Al-Aqsa

Just 5 days after the last vote ruled that there was no Jewish link to Al-Aqsa, Mexico is tabling a re-vote at the UNESCO today

UNESCO’s Administrative Committee will today repeat a vote held last week which denied the existence of a relationship between Judaism and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Mexico requested the vote be repeated, taking advantage of a provision which allows for a repeat of ballots on a resolution within a certain period of time, asking to change its vote in support of the motion to an abstention.

If all other member states vote in the same manner they did previously, the change in Mexico’ position will not alter the outcome of the resolution.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper said Mexico had changed its position following widespread protests by the Jewish community in the country. They had argued that the president had promised not to support the bill but later instructed Ministry of Foreign Affairs to vote in favour of the resolution.

Israel hopes other countries will change their vote and thereby changing the outcome of the ballot which also condemns Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Following the vote last week, Israel had suspended ties with UNESCO.

Update: 14:06 GMT – UNESCO revote on Jewish link to Al-Aqsa cancelled

How countries voted previously

Countries in support of the motion:

Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chad, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan and Vietnam

Those against:

Israel, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the UK and the US

Abstentions:

Albania, Argentina, Cameroon, Cote de’Ivoire, El Salvador, Spain, France, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Haiti, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, Paraguay, South Korea, St. Kits and Nevis, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Togo, Trinidad and Ukraine

Absent countries:

Serbia and Turkmenistan

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