UNESCO head's attempt to ease Israeli outrage backfires
An attempt by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova to ease Israeli anger over a recent resolution has infuriated Palestinians.
A statement issued by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova has angered Palestinian officials and activists.
Bokova made the statement Oct. 14, the same day Israel decided to suspend its relations with UNESCO due to the organization’s resolution on Israeli violations in Jerusalem that Israel feels ignored Jewish connections to Al-Haram al-Sharif compound. Bokova tried to re-emphasize the importance of the three main Abrahamic religions and called for tolerance and for dialogue. After explaining that UNESCO declared Jerusalem a World Heritage Site because of its universality and its importance to the three religions, she concluded by appealing for “dialogue, not confrontation.”
