Back in April 2015, the UNESCO Steering Committee Semi-Annual Conference voted 33 to 6 with 17 abstentions to deny any Jewish historical connection to Har Habayis. This was met with sharp Israeli condemnation and France backtracking on its vote about a month later.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry and its representatives worldwide have been expending considerable efforts towards determining a favorable outcome to a vote on a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) draft that once again accuses Israel for damaging Islamic holy sites on Har Habayis.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee meets once annually, made up of 21 representatives. Israel has been working to prevent another defamatory vote that speaks of “Israeli aggression” on Har Habayis, brazenly rejecting Jewish historical claims to the site.

The draft is prepared by the PA (Palestinian Authority), Israel’s reported “peace partner” along with a peaceful neighboring nation, Jordan. While the latter is at peace with Israel and the border between the countries is not a hostile one, King Abdullah II does not miss an opportunity to point an accusing finger at Israel and to spread the Muslim propaganda of Israeli aggression against Muslim holy sites on Har Habayis.

The joint PA/Jordanian draft speaks of the ongoing Israeli occupation on Har Habayis in violation of international law. This draft, if successful, would serve as the basis of a criminal case against Israel in The International Court of Justice in The Hague.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)