UNESCO draft rejects Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem

CAIRO - 3 May 2017: UNESCO voted Tuesday in favor of a draft resolution which describes Israel as an “occupying power” and denies its sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem.

The resolution was submitted to UNESCO’s Executive Board by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan last October, and 22 countries voted in favor of the resolution.

Ten countries, however, voted against the resolution: Italy, the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, Lithuania, Greece, Germany, Paraguay, Togo and the Ukraine.

Another 22 countries abstained from voting, and the representatives from Nepal, Serbia and Turkmenistan were absent and did not vote.

Part of the draft resolution states:

“All legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying power, which have altered or purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and in particular the ‘basic law’ on Jerusalem, are null and must be rescinded forthwith.”

It also affirms that Jerusalem is an important city to the “three monotheistic religions."

Israel announced suspending cooperation with UNESCO in light of the resolution, which was submitted in October, saying it ignored Jewish ties to the Western Wall and Temple Mount sites.