Israel hits draft Arab UN resolution that omits Jewish, Christian ties to Jerusalem

Israel has denounced a draft resolution submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) by a group of Arab states concerning the city of Jerusalem, saying it took no notice of Jewish and Christian connections to the biblical city.

Jerusalem is claimed as a holy city by the world's three major religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, wrote The Gospel Herald.

Israel assailed the draft resolution submitted b Algeria, Lebanon, and Qatar which decries Israel's archaeological digs in Jerusalem's old city.

The three Arab states also criticise Israel's move to construct a light rail line nearby, which they claim is causing damage and destroying the city's "visual integrity."

The draft resolution was submitted by the group to UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, which is set to issue its own resolution on the matter.

The Arab states denounced Israel for "the persistence of the illegal excavations and works conducted by the Israeli occupation authorities and the extreme settler groups in the Old City of Jerusalem and on both sides of its walls."

The draft resolution "deliberately ignores the historical connection between the Jewish people and their ancient capital," said Israeli Foreign Ministry Director Dore Gold.

Gold added that it also ignores the ties between Christianity and Jerusalem.

He described the draft resolution as "completely one-sided" and "full of distortions and is totally disconnected from reality on the ground."

"The Jewish people restored their majority in Jerusalem in the mid-19th century," Gold said. "Their ancient synagogues were destroyed and desecrated by a coalition of invading armies in 1948, who ethnically cleansed the Old City of any Jewish presence."

The Times of Israel said certain areas of Jerusalem's Old City has been on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger since 1982, after Jordan requested calling the site as "endangered."

"It refers to the Temple Mount only as a 'Muslim holy site,' and to the Western Wall plaza, the holiest site in Judaism accessible to Jewish worshipers, who are not allowed to prayer on the mount itself, only by its Muslim moniker, the 'Buraq plaza,'" the Times of Israel wrote.