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Palestinians demand UN Secretary-General apologize for Jerusalem remarks

“It’s clear as the sun is clear that the Temple, which was demolished by the Romans, is a Jewish temple,” said Guterres.

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres took office only a few weeks ago, but he has already managed to anger the Palestinians, who are demanding that he apologize for remarks he made about the Jewish connection to Jerusalem.

Israel Radio reported on Sunday that Guterres stated that, “It’s clear as the sun is clear that the Temple, which was demolished by the Romans, is a Jewish temple.”

Adnan al-Huseini, the Palestinian Minister for Jerusalem affairs, told the Chinese Xinhua news agency that “he (Guterres) neglected the UNESCO resolutions, which clearly said that the al-Aqsa Mosque is purely an Islamic heritage.”

He was referring to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) resolution from October which ignores Judaism’s connection to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Al-Huseini added that Guterres’ remarks “are a violation to all human, diplomatic and legal rules and laws and a violation to his position as the secretary-general,” adding “he (Guterres) should apologize to the Palestinian people for his remarks.”

However, Guterres, who took office stated that “no one can deny the truth that Jerusalem is holy for the three major religions.”

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Meanwhile, Ahmed Majdalani, an official in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said in an emailed press statement that the remarks of Guterres are “a strike to the credibility of the UN as a global organization that should stay to the side of the occupied people and be against the power of the occupation.”

The PLO official went on saying that, “it seems the new UN secretary-general is lacking trust and he doesn’t understand his position,” adding “he (Guterres) should clarify his remarks that give Israel a green light for more measures against Jerusalem.”

Several countries have voiced opposition to the UNESCO motions denying the Jewish bond to Jerusalem, including the US, the Czech Republic, Italy and even UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News