UN body’s Hebron heritage decision angers Israel

KRAKOW The United Nations cultural agency has declared the old city in the West Bank town of Hebron a Palestinian World Heritage site, a decision that has outraged Israeli officials, who say the move negates the deep Jewish ties to the biblical town and its ancient shrine.

The move yesterday is the latest chapter in Israel’s contentious relationship with Unesco, an agency it accuses of being an antiIsraeli tool that makes decisions based on political considerations.

While the Palestinians welcomed the action, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it ‘‘another delusional decision by Unesco’’.

Both Jews and Muslims revere the same site in Hebron as the traditional burial place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs – Jews call it the Tomb of the Patriarchs, while for Muslims it is the Ibrahimi Mosque.

The 12-3 vote, with six abstentions, came on a secret ballot at an annual Unesco World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow, Poland.

The proposal came from the Palestinian side. Israel contended that its historic links to Hebron were ignored, and its ambassador REUTERS to Unesco left the session.

Unesco spokeswoman Lucia Iglesias confirmed that Hebron’s old city was put on the agency’s World Heritage list and on the list of sites in danger.

‘‘This is a historical development because it stressed that Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque historically belong to the Palestinian people,’’ said Palestinian Minister of Tourism Rula Maayah.

But Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said Unesco’s ‘‘automatic Arab majority succeeded in passing the proposed resolution that attempts to appropriate the national symbols of the Jewish people’’.

She added: ‘‘This is a badge of shame for Unesco, who time after time chooses to stand on the side of lies.’’

Netanyahu expressed outrage that Unesco determined the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron ‘‘is a Palestinian site, meaning not Jewish, and that the site is in danger.’’

Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the UN, said the vote ‘‘does no-one any good and causes much harm’’.

‘‘It represents an affront to history. It undermines the trust that is needed for the Israeli- Palestinian peace process to be successful. And it further discredits an already highly questionable UN agency,’’ she said.

Hebron is part of the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War. The international community considers it to be occupied.

Palestinians claim the West Bank is an integral part of a future independent state, a position that is widely backed internationally. Israel says the territory’s fate, along with other core issues like security, should be resolved in negotiations.

In the meantime, Israel has built dozens of settlements in the West Bank housing about 400,000 Israelis. The Palestinians – and most of the world – consider these to be illegal obstacles to peace.

Hebron is especially contentious. Several hundred ultranationalist settlers live in heavily guarded enclaves in the city, amid about 170,000 Palestinians. AP

A Palestinian woman reads the Quran yesterday inside Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque, which is also considered sacred by Jews, who call it the Tomb of the Patriarchs.