SWC: UNESCO Vote to erase Western Wall from Jewish history contradicts Supreme Muslim Council’s Declaration that Temple Mounts’ Connection to Solomon’s Temple “is beyond dispute”

Senior officials of the Simon Wiesenthal Center currently in Jerusalem denounced today’s vote by UNESCO erasing the Jewish identity of the Western Wall, at the base of the TempleMount.

“This outrageous move has one motivation—to try to erase the Jewish people’s age-old links to its holiest sites,” declared Rabbis Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder of the SimonWiesenthal Center, and Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the leading Jewish Human Rights NGO. “We take some solace from the fact that no Europeans backed the resolution and thatimportant nations including India and Argentina abstained. However the passage of this resolution will be seen by many as encouraging and validating more Palestinian terror attacks onIsraeli civilians,” Hier and Cooper added.

“This cynical political move at the UN agency that is supposed to avoid politics, is based on a bald-faced lie. Indeed, the official guide to the Temple Mount (AlHaram Al Sharif) published annually by the Supreme Muslim Council from 1924-1954 stated that the connection of Solomon’s Temple and King David to that holy space was “beyonddispute.

When contacted by Center officials, the office of UNESCO Director General reiterated her recent statements denouncing the anti-Jewish campaign:

"The heritage of Jerusalem is indivisible, and each of its communities have a right to the explicit recognition of their history and relationship with the city. To deny or conceal any ofthe Jewish, Christian or Muslim traditions undermines the integrity of the site, and runs counter to the reasons that justified its inscription in 1981 as a World Heritage site."

"This requirement is stronger than ever, when the city of Jerusalem is witnessing violence, fueling divisions and harming the multi-faith character of the Old City. I am concerned aboutthe way physical violence is being associated with symbolic violence, as well as the will to erase history and instrumentalize culture".

"Jerusalem is a Holy Land of the three monotheistic religions, a place of dialogue for all Jewish, Christian and Muslim people, nothing should be undertaken to alter its integrity andauthenticity…It is a mosaic of cultures and peoples, whose history has shaped the history of all humanity. Only respect and dialogue can build the trust we need to move forward -- this isthe strength of UNESCO, for the benefit of all."

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at internationalagencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).