Denial of Jewish history

In “From New York to Paris: Antisemitism at UNESCO” (October 5), Shimon Samuels suggests addressing the problem with “in-house education in the 3,500 years of Jewish history.” A spot-on idea, but perhaps we might do one better, by substituting “on-site” for “in-house.”

Last March, at the MFA’s Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism, I spoke with Irina Bokova, a former UNESCO director general sitting with Samuels on a panel entitled, ‘The Denial of Jewish History in International Organizations: The Case of Jerusalem in the UN and UNESCO.’ I queried Bokova about the lack of response from UNESCO, after I had invited its leadership to join me in a briefing on the Mount of Olives, arguably the greatest repository of 3,000 years of Jewish Jerusalem history. She said she would put me in touch with the right people at UNESCO, and, true to her word, she did just that on her return to Paris.

My invitation was referred to the UNESCO cabinet, and, some weeks later, I received a missive from its assistant director general for external relations. Filled with the most convoluted diplomatic doublespeak imaginable, the inane brushoff only served to reinforce Samuels’s point about UNESCO’s systemic antisemitism.

My invitation, nonetheless, still stands as I pursue other avenues. JEFF DAUBE Director of the Israel Office of the ZOA Jerusalem