Withdrawing a Draft Resolution Condemning the Israeli Occupation State in UNESCO
ICSPR Demands the International Community not to sacrifice the Palestinian People Rights and Heritage for Political Interests.
The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights condemns retreating the Arab States represented by Jordan and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to submit a draft resolution titled “The Conditions in the Occupied Territories” which condemns Israel because of its policies in the Gaza strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The resolution was supposed to be subject to voting in the meeting of the executive committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) this week in Paris. The draft withdrawing came after secret diplomatic efforts between the Chairman of the UNESCO Management Committee Michael Fraps, the Israeli ambassador to UNESCO, Carmel Shama Hacohen, and the Jordanian ambassador to UNESCO Makram Qaisi, and the American envoy to the Middle East Jason Greeblatt. They all agreed eventually to withdraw the draft resolution and another draft and delay submitting these resolution to the next half of the nest year. It is worth to mention that this happened for the first time since 2013 to withdraw a draft in UNESCO.
ICSPR believes that this retreat involves blatant disregard and sacrifice the rights of the Palestinian people for the sake of political interests and gives the occupation a green light to continue its policies against the Palestinian. This gives the occupation the opportunity to continue destroying and robbing the Palestinian heritage which violates the international law. This behavior came because of the election of the UNESCO executive committee next meeting, as there are representative from Egypt, Qatar and Iraq among the eight candidates who are running for the position.
ICSPR condemns the withdrawing of the draft resolution, and it reaffirms its refusal to sacrifice the rights of the Palestinian people which are guaranteed by international law. It believes and calls upon parties for the following:
ICSPR puts the responsibility of the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian heritage on the shoulders of UNESCO and the US administration.
ICSPR believes that this retreat involves blatant disregard and sacrifice the rights of the Palestinian people for the sake of political interests
ICSPR urges Palestinian, Arab and Islamic diplomacy not to withdraw any draft resolution and work to ensure protecting the Palestinian heritage and to stop the Israeli practice to defaming it.
