JERUSALEM (JTA) — UNESCO passed six anti-Israel resolutions with support from France.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization passed the resolutions Friday at a meeting in Paris of its executive committee.
France backed all the resolutions, as did Russia; the United States opposed all of them. Britain and Italy abstained in the votes.
Among the resolutions was one condemning Israel for canceling at the last minute a visit of UNESCO inspectors to look at preservation work at 18 sites in the old city of Jerusalem. The visit was canceled after Palestinian Authority officials said they would take the delegation to visit the Temple Mount and to meet with politicians, effectively politicizing the visit, according to Israel.
Other resolutions condemned Israel’s work at the Mugrabi Bridge at the Temple Mount Plaza, and naming Rachel’s Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs as Israeli national heritage sites.
UNESCO was the first U.N. body to accept “Palestine” as a member.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
