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Wiesenthal Centre to UNESCO Director-General: “Lead an Initiative – together with Like-Minded Member States – to PREVENT the Palestinian Antisemitic Resolution from coming to a vote.”
“UNESCO is becoming a tribune for the greatest antisemitic delegitimization of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
“The Palestinian resolution against Judaism itself is no different from ISIL”s destruction of heritage, denoted by the Director-General as 'cultural cleansing'.”
Istanbul, 11 July 2016
In a letter to UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, lamented that: “Though you have taken important steps to expand Holocaust education and contain contemporary prejudice, including antisemitism, UNESCO itself is becoming a tribune for the greatest antisemitic delegitimization of the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” adding, “Since Palestine's entry in November 2011, the World Heritage Committee (WHC) has been turned into a battlefield, redefining Jewish sites as mosques and a wishlist that impugns the integrity of the WHC as a protector and preserver of heritage.”
Samuels
recalled how, “last year's 39th
WHC in Bonn, Germany, in July 2015, witnessed the first
attempt to
de-Judaize the Jewish people's over two millennia presence and
identity in Jerusalem,” continuing, “This ID theft was then
endorsed by the UNESCO Executive Board in April 2016, just as
the
Palestinians are now preparing to submit to this 40th WHC in
Istanbul, a more intensified attack on every vestige of the
Jewish
presence, first in Jerusalem and then throughout the Holy
Land.”
Dr. Samuels interviewed by Turkish radio at UNESCO WHC Istanbul.
The letter reminded the Director-General that “in indignation at this attrition, only last month, the European Boards of the Wiesenthal Centre, Verbe et Lumière-Vigilance and, our new partner, Yad VaShem France, ruled to remove our Russian Holocaust Laureates programme from UNESCO after an 11 year association,” commending “The five member-state UNESCO delegates (Armenia, Germany, Israel, Russia, the United States) who joined us at the Paris Memorial to the Shoah and assured us of their commitment 'to resolve the situation in order to bring back the programme to UNESCO in 2017'... Similarly, France and Brazil have officially expressed their regrets for supporting this outrageous resolution. At our recent meeting with President Macri in Buenos Aires, he ordered an investigation into Argentina's incomprehensible vote.”
Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean and
Founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, called on the
Director-General “to assert your authority to lead an initiative
–
together with like-minded member states as a caucus of integrity
–
to prevent this heinous resolution from coming to a vote based
on
interests that serve neither the Palestinian people nor the
cause of
peace and can only engender further terrorism.”
Rabbi
Abraham Cooper, the Centre's Associate Dean, has provided
documentary
evidence against the Palestinian draft (see in attachment), a
publication
of the Supreme Muslim Council, published annually from
1924-1953 as
the official tour guide for visitors to
Jerusalem. This
refers to the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount as: “The
site
is one of the oldest in the world. Its sanctity dates from
the
earliest (perhaps from pre-historic) times. Its identity
with the
site of Solomon's Temple is beyond dispute. This too is the
spot
according to the universal belief, on which 'David built
there an
altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings'.”
Samuels noted that the Director-General's speech at the WHC opening yesterday, described World Heritage, saying, “what is at stake here is more than adding new sites in a list. It is about reaffirming human values and human rights. It is about healing wounded memories, harnessing heritage to regain confidence.”
The letter argued that “the Palestinian draft resolution violates every one of your above sentiments. Indeed, its impact upon the wounded memories of the Jewish people and Judaism itself, is no different from ISIL's destruction of heritage, which you have denoted as 'cultural cleansing'.”
“The
WHC Turkish Chair, Ambassador Ülker,
stressed last night that 'to attack heritage is to attack
history,
identity and values of people...' It is doubtful that Turkey,
our
host, would wish for such a stain on this courageous WHC, held
as a
demonstration of defiance in the face of the recent terrorist
atrocity, here in Istanbul...
We
are certain, however, that only under your guidance can a
counter
caucus redeem the name
of UNESCO,” concluded Samuels.
For further information, please contact Shimon Samuels at +336 09770158.