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B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International is appalled that a joint Palestinian-Jordanian draft of a resolution that questions Jewish historic ties to Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem was presented to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee in Istanbul. The draft resolution that was submitted to the 21-member committee includes references to the Temple Mount solely by its Arabic name and describes it only as a Muslim holy site, thereby seeking to erase and supplant the fundamental history of Judaism. The resolution also refers disrespectfully to the Western Wall (the Kotel, in Hebrew) in quotes while claiming it as part of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Attempts to change the facts of Judeo-Christian history by relabeling universally established names for holy sites with only Arabic or Muslim names have been ongoing at UNESCO. Similar Palestinian-backed resolutions at UNESCO’s Executive Board over the past year have led to a public outcry over the blatant, frontal attack on Judaism and the Jewish people. In spite of the outrage, the Palestinians continue to put forward the same inflammatory language, hoping that the repetition will eventually become an accepted narrative.

The World Heritage Committee is tasked with preserving the common history of humanity and cannot allow itself to let the Palestinians pervert this goal for political ends. This resolution would do lasting damage to the reputation of UNESCO. 

​B’nai B’rith urges international leaders to strongly repudiate this outrageous resolution.