Hamas praises UNESCO denial of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem

Hamas pleased with UNESCO’s criticism of Israel as “occupying power” in Jerusalem’s Old City.

The Hamas terror group, which rules the Gaza Strip, gave high praise to a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) resolution labeling Israel the “occupying power” in the Old City of Jerusalem and criticizing archeological excavations in the city.

The Jordanian-sponsored resolution, passed on Tuesday, “regrets the failure of the Israeli occupying authorities to cease the persistent excavations, tunneling, works, projects and other illegal practices in East Jerusalem, particularly in and around the Old City of Jerusalem, which are illegal under international law.”

Hamas spokesman Abedllatif Al Qanoua, on Wednesday stressed that UNESCO’s resolution “demolishes the false Israeli narrative and asserts the Palestinian right in Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque.”

He also called on the UN to “implement these resolutions on the ground” and to “save Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque from Judaization, excavations and Zionist projects.”

The resolution is non-binding and has no ramifications, beyond the declarative one.

Al Qanoua thanked all the counties which “voted for Palestine and the rights of Palestinian people.”

A majority of 10 mostly Muslim countries, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey, Vietnam, Cuba and Zimbabwe, supported the resolution, while Jamaica, the Philippines and Burkina Faso opposed it, and Angola, Croatia, Finland, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Tanzania and South Korea abstained.

The Palestinian WAFA news agency quoted Palestinian Authority (PA) spokesman Yousif al-Mahmoud as saying that the resolution “rejected Israel’s narrative in Jerusalem.”

He called on the international community to “enforce these decisions on the ground in order to lift injustice, oppression, and domination practiced by the occupying power against our steadfast people in the city of Jerusalem and against its Islamic and Christian holy places.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the resolution as “another absurd and irrelevant UNESCO decision, which serves only the enemies of history and truth.”

“Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people, and no UNESCO resolution will change this reality. The decision is sad, unnecessary and pathetic. It should be noted that the resolution did not even achieve a majority of the votes,” the statement said.

Another anti-Israel resolution, a vote to mischaracterize the Old City of Hebron as a Palestinian World Heritage site, is scheduled for Friday.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

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