Israel’s President, gov’t ministers, and local authorities sound off on UNESCO shameful, anti-Semitic decision of overtly ‘promoting fake history’ against the Jews, while covertly ignoring wanton destruction of non-Islamic mid-East historical sites.
–  “The Cave of the Patriarchs is the foundation of Jewish history, where the first ‘Israel’ in the world is buried, and the magnificent structure over it was built by Jews 2,000 years ago, hundreds of years before the appearance of Islam.”

By Itamar Eichner, Elisha Ben-Kimon

Israel slammed a UNESCO resolution passed on Friday declaring Hebron’s Old City—and with it the Cave of the Patriarchs—as a Palestinian World Heritage Site.

Tomb of Isaac – Photo: Palestine Exploration Fund Magazine. Quarterly Statement July 1912. Pages 145-150. Cenotaphs of the Hebrew Patriarchs at the Cave of Machpelah. By the Rev A.B. Grimaldi M.A.

A spokesman for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision was a “moral blot” on UNESCO. “This irrelevant organization is promoting fake history. Shame on UNESCO,” said spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon called the vote “a disgraceful decision that destroys any shred of credibility UNESCO had left,” adding that “this grave attempt to cut the ties between Israel and Hebron and the graves of the fathers and mothers of our people is an ugly move, which is offensive to the Jewish people.”

Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin asserted the decision “once again proves this is a body determined to continue spreading anti-Jewish lies, while at the same time sticking to its silence while the regional heritage is being erased by brutal extremists.”

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman condemned the decision, calling UNESCO “a politically biased, disgraceful and anti-Semitic organization, which passes outrageous decisions.”

“No resolution from this irrelevant organization can hurt our thousands of years old historical right over the Cave of the Patriarchs, or our right over Israel,” Lieberman added, further saying he hoped the US helps defund UNESCO.

“This decision also proves, once more, that the Palestinian Authority is not looking for peace, but rather to incitement against and besmirching of Israel in the world,” the defense minister concluded.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement that “Jewish ties to Hebron are stronger than the disgraceful UNESCO vote.”

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked joined the chorus of condemnation, saying the resolution “is another stain on the international organization and on each of the countries that voted in favor of it.”

She noted that “The Cave of the Patriarchs and Hebron are not just Jewish heritage sites, but also sites over which the people of Israel have a historical, possessory and legal right, based on international law as well.”

Shaked vowed to “work to ensure our right over these important sites will be realized.”

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin took issue with the fact “the hypocrites and history deniers sitting in UNESCO had decided this time to erase Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, from history. Just as one cannot erase the Bible and all that had taken place in the Cave of the Patriarchs, our historical and eternal right over the Land of Israel and specifically over Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs cannot be erased either.”

Levin called on his fellow government ministers to approve a series of moves in the Cave of the Patriarchs that have been delayed for a long time, including putting roofing over the Jewish prayer area.

Minister of Science, Technology and Space Ofir Akunis called UNESCO’s decision “stupid, false and pathetic.”

“This embarrassing decision has no significance, and no lie could change the 4,000 years long connection between the Jewish people and Hebron and Jerusalem, or our right over our country,” Akunis added.

The Cave of Machpelah, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hevron, the sacred burial tomb of the Jewish Patriarchs Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebecca and Jacob & Leah. – Photo: WIikipedia Commons

Tourism Minister Yisrael Katz took comfort in the fact that:

When no one remembers what UNESCO was anymore, Jerusalem will still be Israel’s eternal capital.

Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan dismissed the resolution, saying, “If the Palestinians try to pass a resolution in UNESCO that the world was square, a majority would be found for that as well. That’s the level of credibility a UNESCO decision has.”

He added, however, that “fortunately, the majority of the world, including the Muslim world, understands one cannot just erase the rich past of a people and a nation and replace it with made-up and rewritten history of a made-up Palestinian people.”

The heads of the Land of Israel Lobby at the Knesset, MKs Yoav Kisch (Likud) and Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Yehudi), said in a joint statement the UNESCO decision was “no less than the denial of history. Hebron is the first Hebrew city, and the Cave of the Patriarchs is the burial plot for the forefathers of the people of Israel.”

The two, who are members of the coalition but not of the government, called on the ministers “not only to reject the UNESCO decision, but also clarify with actions that Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs are the heritage sites of the people of Israel.”

The Jewish settlement in Hebron also issued a statement condemning the decision, calling it a “delusional, ridiculous and anti-Semitic decision, typical of the hate-filled ignorant group in UNESCO.”

“The Cave of the Patriarchs is the foundation of Jewish history, where the first ‘Israel’ in the world is buried, and the magnificent structure over it was built by Jews 2,000 years ago, hundreds of years before the appearance of Islam,” the Kiryat Arba settlers said in their statement.

“Unlike the time of the Muslim occupation, there is now freedom of access and worship to members of all faiths, and the place is safe and protected,” the settlers added.

They called on the Israeli government to stop funding for UNESCO and use this funding to bolster Hebron instead.

Furthermore, the settlers called to renew school trips to the Cave of the Patriarchs; build a visitor center for tourists at the site; improve conditions at the site by building an elevator for the disabled and installing roofing for worshippers; and ,finally, to approve Jewish construction and development in Hebron.

The Yesha Council, which represents Israeli settlers in the West Bank, also slammed the decision, saying, “Hebron is Judaism’s second holiest site, denying 4,000 years of Jewish history is pure anti-Semitism.”

“UNESCO prefers to disseminate outlandish conspiracy theories that paint Israel in a bad light, than to do its mission and defend the truth.The revisionist history being churned out of UNESCO only strengthens our resolve in Judea and Samaria to keep building a better future for generations to come,” said Oded Revivi, the chief foreign envoy of the Yesha council.

View original Ynet publication at:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4986097,00.html