Jerusalem on top of the World Heritage Committee's meeting in Paris

Nevine El-Aref , Saturday 2 Jul 2011

The UNESCO's World Heritage Committee agreed to retain the occupied City of Jerusalem on the World Heritage List in Danger

old Jerusalem

The UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC) in its meeting in Paris approved a resolution to keep the occupied city of Jerusalem and its walls on the World Heritage List in Danger and to continue monitoring the site.
The resolution also regrets that Israel did not comply with similar and related resolutions of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHO). On the contrary, Israel continues archaeological excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls on both sides. The resolution called on Israel to halt digging in obeidence and committement to UNESCO Conventions.
Ali Radwan permanent Egypt’s representative in the WHC, wrote in his report submitted to Minister of State for Antitquities Zahi Hawass, that the World Heritage Committee has difficulty adopted such a decision following intensive efforts between the delegations of Egypt, Jordanian and Palestinian as well as coordination with Arab and African countries. He said that posting the city of Jerusalem and its walls on the  World Heritage List in danger because of Israel's aggression practices of intensified excavations carried out by the Israeli occupation authorities in Jerusalem, especially in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and underneath its foundations.
Gihan Zaki Minister's advisor for Egypt’s UNESCO delegation asserted that Egypt has presented a full support and political weight to make this resolution to come true. She asserted that during the meeting Egypt succeeded in full coordination with the delegations of Jordan and the Palestinian and Arab and African delegates to put the draft resolution to a vote without any amendments, as demanded by some countries to find a compromise formula but that there was a majority  condemning Israel for its practices within the city Jerusalem and the old city walls, archaeological and religious sites.


UNESCO has issued over the past five years, fifty-six resolutions on Palestine includes the 1100 rule is not implemented any of them on the ground which decisions regarding the Israeli violations of the resolutions of the Organization UNESCO.

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