UNESCO's Moral Infamy
"The next step in this exponential ID theft of the Jewish and Christian narratives will take place at the July UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Krakow, Poland, where its 21 member states will vote yet again on Jerusalem and possibly — on the Palestinian wish list — Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls."
Israeli Ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama-HaCohen
"Israel lost the vote today, but it did score a small moral victory: despite reported fears that Germany’s negotiations with the Palestinians would erode support, Israel in the end won more votes than ever before, including from major democracies like the U.S., Britain, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands."
"The Palestinians at UNESCO are hemorrhaging support for their ritual anti-Israel resolution: last April they had 33 yes votes, then in October it was down to 24, and today it’s down to 22. The no votes increased substantially from 6 to 10."
"And once again, India—an increasingly important friend and ally of Israel—has voted to abstain, showing that its recent break from decades of lockstep voting with the Arab states is now a fixed policy."
"Once again, the United Nations agency for education, science and culture is being hijacked by genocidal regimes and serial human rights abusers like Sudan, Iran, Algeria, Qatar, and Russia."
"Founded in 1945 to combat the doctrine of the inequality of men and races, UNESCO today has sadly become a serial perpetrator of inequality."
"Today’s prejudiced votes are liable to be the last straw that pushes the U.S. to withdraw [from] UNESCO for good."
"One-sided and political measures only divert UNESCO from its obligations to help educate needy children in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere."
"UNESCO’s actions also send a message to bad actors in the Middle East, pouring fuel on the fires of incitement to terror that already poison educational curricula."
Hillel Neuer, executive director, UN Watch
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| Western Wall, Jerusalem, 69 Years Israel celebration: Independence Day |
Israelis are delirious with joy, celebrating the 68th anniversary of their country's rebirth. Their heritage status as an ancient people in an ancient land cannot be denied. They rank extremely high on the happiness index in comparison to most of the world's other nations. Yet few other countries in the world have been as existentially embattled by hostile neighbours as has Israel. From its re-establishment in 1948 to the present time, it is a country that has been forced to defend itself from the malign slanders, threats and violence of its Arab and Muslim neighbours.
And though most of its neighbours in the Middle East have rued the fact that their combined military assaults over the years have been incapable of removing the State of Israel from the Middle East neighbourhood, they have resigned themselves to the fact that it is immovable. And that its military resources and the strength of its people's determination to defend themselves and continue living where they have historically come from, and to democratically permit non-Jews to live among them must be accepted. Unwillingly, of course, with continued agitations to keep unsettling the country.
For their part, Israelis mourn the waste of precious life, of those who fought to defend the state and its people and who died in the effort. Their heroic sacrifices enabled Israelis to hold their own and to retake their timeless capital from the illegal hold of neighbouring Jordan. The uninterrupted legacy of ancient Jewish residence in Jerusalem reflecting its status as the Jewish homeland's capital is contested and shamelessly declared the possession of a religion that took its impetus from Judaism even while refuting Judaism's legitimacy.
Now, the United Nations and its various arms has been transformed from a world body regulating human rights and espousing world peace, into a private clique representing the interests of Arab and Muslim dominance in affairs singling out Israel for continual condemnation for its very existence. Where the UN's Education, Scientific and Cultural branch has been manipulated to dispossess Israel of its birthright. The latest offence, coinciding with Israel's independence celebrations to declare it to be 'occupying' Palestinian lands.
Ironically, Palestinian lands were always Jewish lands, and Palestinians were always Jews before the terminology was co-opted by Egyptian and Jordanian Arabs claiming for themselves the title of 'Palestinians'. As 'Palestinians', they also claimed 'Palestine'. Charging that a Jewish presence on land consecrated to Islam was an illegal occupation and an assault on innocent Palestinians who wanted nothing but to live in peace, while committing terrorist slaughter against Jews.
Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan -- all of whom have no regard whatever for human rights, Sudan demonstrating it in its slaughter of Darfurians and being called to account for war crimes by the International Criminal Court -- brought a resolution condemning Israel at the latest UNESCO meeting. Israel, according to the resolution, must rescind "legislative and administrative measures and actions" to "alter the character and status" of Jerusalem. Nor does it accept a "basic law" holding that Jerusalem is a unified whole governed by Israel.
The usual supporters of the influential Arab clique at the United Nations fell into line, voting alongside the Arab and Muslim nations to approve the resolution. Cowardly nations like France abstained from casting their vote. While the courageous, morally upright nations who respect verity and ethical behaviour in recognition of Israel's rightfulp lace in the world, voted against the resolution.
France has betrayed its democratic, secular-humanitarian spirit in this vote, while Lithuania, Paraguay and Togo, among others had the grace and the goodness to vote against the resolution.
Germany, Greece, Italy, Holland, Ukraine and Britain voted 'No' with the United States.
Labels: Heritage, Israel, Jerusalem, Judaism, UNESCO
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, May 02, 2017
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