UNESCO ignores Jewish ties to Temple Mount

The United Nations’ historic preservation executive committee approved a resolution today referring to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount by only it’s Arab name, al-Haram al-Sharif. The resolution, titled “Occupied Palestine,” is part of an effort to deny the historic Jewish connection to the land, according to Israeli officials. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, more commonly known as UNESCO, has been in the middle of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 2011, when it admitted Palestine as a member. The Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City houses the Western Wall, the only remaining remnant of the Temple and the holiest site for Jews to pray. It also houses the Al-Aqsa mosque and the golden Dome of the Rock, the third holiest sites in Islam. Carmel Shama-Hacohen, Israel’s ambassador to UNESCO, said the agency had moved far from its mission: “This noble organization was established to preserve history, not to rewrite it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.