MK Yair Lapid
MK Yair LapidHadas Parush/Flash 90

Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid on Tuesday met Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, and asked Britain to thwart the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) initiative to pass a resolution at UNESCO stating that the Western Wall is part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Lapid told Hammond during their meeting in London that the PA’s initiative is a direct continuation of its campaign of incitement and lies.

The attempt to claim the Kotel, or Western Wall, as "part of Al Aqsa Mosque" has already drawn strong condemnations from Israeli officials and Diaspora Jewish leaders alike.

Earlier on Tuesday, in what could be a crucial development on the issue, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova issued a statement roundly condemning the PA over its proposed resolution.

Bokova urged Organization members to reject the proposal, which she said threatened to "incite tensions."

"We all have responsibility to UNESCO’s mandate, to take decisions that promote dialogue, tolerance and peace," Bokova said. "This is especially important for young people, who should be nurtured and educated for peace."