A subsidiary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was accused by Israel today of abusing its powers to further Jordan’s claim to the old city of Jerusalem.
Yael Vered, head of the Israeli delegation to UNESCO, charged the International Committee for the Protection of Ancient Monuments with making “an illegal decision which is in serious violation of the convention” on ancient monuments when it voted a $160,000 credit to Jordan.
She said the vote was taken without consulting Israel and without taking into account that Israel has been administering the Old City, now part of united Jerusalem, since 1967.
Vered charged, at a press conference at the Israel Embassy here that the committee was “dominated by Arab and Soviet supporters” motivated by political factors, not a desire to protect cultural treasures.
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.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
