USA LAWMAKERS URGE UNESCO NOT TO REWRITE JERUSALEM’S HISTORY:
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USA Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) are leading a bipartisan effort to stop the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from passing a resolution that would describe the Temple Mount and the Western Wall as holy Muslim sites, thus diminishing the historic and verified Jewish and Christian ties to the Old City of Jerusalem. Ros-Lehtinen, Cruz and 37 other lawmakers signed a letter to members of the Executive Board of UNESCO, urging them to vote against the resolution. "The Old City of Jerusalem is important to the three monotheistic religions. Numerous archaeological excavations have uncovered a myriad of antiquities that scientifically prove the historical connection of all three religions to Jerusalem, such as the discovery of the Pool of Siloam or the restoration of floor tiles of the Second Temple in the City of David. We celebrate the heritage and cultural ties of these religions to Jerusalem and the importance of Jerusalem to millions of people around the world,” added the lawmakers.
"Yet, this resolution seems to prioritize the Muslim heritage of the Old City, while diminishing the ties of either of the other religions. For example, the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, along with the Western Wall, where Jews from all over the world have come to pray, are described exclusively as Muslim holy sites and referred to only by their Muslim names. UNESCO’s mission is to build intercultural understanding through protection of heritage and support for cultural diversity. This unnecessarily divisive resolution undermines the very purpose and integrity of UNESCO by seeking to rewrite Jerusalem's history, rejects Jerusalem's multi-cultural heritage, and undercuts Jerusalem's extraordinary diversity,” the lawmakers wrote, warning that "attempting to erase the Jewish and Christian connection to this sacred city will further damage the prospects of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. (Arutz-7) Pray this utterly bias and deceitful resolution - geared to strip many of Jerusalem’s most important religious sites of their Jewish and Christian heritage and history - will be vetoed.