STATEMENT

STATEMENT

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine welcomed the adoption by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, in its 46th session held in the Indian capital, New Delhi, of the decisions regarding the preservation of world heritage of exceptional value in Palestine, unanimously and without a vote, for the site of the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls, the Old City in Hebron, and the site of the agricultural terraces south of Jerusalem/Battir.

The ministry pointed out that Israel's attempts, as the occupying power, to falsify history and culture will fail, and that Palestinian diplomacy will continue its efforts to thwart all attempts to destroy our heritage, culture, and history, and all attempts to replace facts on the ground with myths and false narratives.

The ministry emphasizes the importance of the city of Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine, and its preservation from distortion or destruction, considering it the true beacon for religions, and the historical, heritage, and cultural gateway to the world, for both Muslims and Christians.

In this context, the ministry extends its sincere thanks to the brotherly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for its efforts in adopting the Jerusalem decision and working to maintain consensus in the decision to keep the holy city, the capital of the State of Palestine, on the list of world heritage in danger. It also thanks the member states of the World Heritage Committee for their consensus on keeping the city of Hebron on the list of world heritage in danger, especially in light of the danger posed by occupation that tries to sabotage and Judaize the site.

The ministry called on UNESCO and its Director-General to expose the Israeli colonial occupation plans and not to encourage the illusions managed by the fascist Israeli government regarding "undermining the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to exist," and to implement what was adopted in the decision to send a representative of the Director-General to Jerusalem and dispatch a monitoring mission to observe Israeli violations in the holy city.

The ministry demands that UN organizations, especially UNESCO, protect the heritage, culture, and history of the Holy City of Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine, and the cultural heritage in Hebron and Battir from distortion. It calls for real international pressure to force the Israeli government to stop all its illegal unilateral actions, to impose international sanctions on Israel, the unlawful occupying power, and to implement the decision of the International Court of Justice issued on July 19, 2024.