The Egyptian Al-Ahram charges that Israel is destroying Jerusalems archaeological heritage in an attempt to falsify the historical record regarding Jewish sovereignty in the city. As an example of a failed attempt at such deception, Al-Ahram reports on the Israeli request to the World Heritage Committee (WHC) of UNESCO to register Mount Zion, and other historical sites in the Jerusalem vicinity, as falling under Israeli jurisdiction.
According to the Palestinian permanent observer at UNESCO, as reported by Al Ahram, the request was denied because the WHC does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem; ratifying the Israeli request would have meant consecrating occupation. In that same spirit, Tahani Omar, Egypt's ambassador to UNESCO, told Al Ahram that "It was unrealistic that they could force this argument on the member states, because how can you claim to be acting as guardian of the cultural heritage when you are contravening the most basic elements of humanitarian law?
Al Ahram further quoted an unnamed senior UNESCO official, commenting about the Israeli petition, as saying that UNESCO cannot sanction aggressors of culture.
Professor Leon Pressouyre, referred to by Al Ahram as an evaluator of world heritage sites told the journal that the Old City is a prisoner of urbanisation and its surroundings. Furthermore, Al Ahram reports, archaeology and the conservation of monuments in the Old City and its surroundings continue to be approached on an essentially political basis.
One of the things that the Professor cited in Al Ahram as being destructive to Jerusalem?s heritage, was the influx of Jews to the city since 1967. Or, in the Professor?s words, ?the ?changes in the social composition of the Old City, which are affecting the consistency of the urban fabric and of the built heritage.?? Indeed, ?the establishment of a small Jewish quarter, with or without a synagogue, on the site of Burj Al-Laqlaq [in the Old City], constituted what he described as both a ?historical falsification and an extremely serious provocation.??
According to the Palestinian permanent observer at UNESCO, as reported by Al Ahram, the request was denied because the WHC does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem; ratifying the Israeli request would have meant consecrating occupation. In that same spirit, Tahani Omar, Egypt's ambassador to UNESCO, told Al Ahram that "It was unrealistic that they could force this argument on the member states, because how can you claim to be acting as guardian of the cultural heritage when you are contravening the most basic elements of humanitarian law?
Al Ahram further quoted an unnamed senior UNESCO official, commenting about the Israeli petition, as saying that UNESCO cannot sanction aggressors of culture.
Professor Leon Pressouyre, referred to by Al Ahram as an evaluator of world heritage sites told the journal that the Old City is a prisoner of urbanisation and its surroundings. Furthermore, Al Ahram reports, archaeology and the conservation of monuments in the Old City and its surroundings continue to be approached on an essentially political basis.
One of the things that the Professor cited in Al Ahram as being destructive to Jerusalem?s heritage, was the influx of Jews to the city since 1967. Or, in the Professor?s words, ?the ?changes in the social composition of the Old City, which are affecting the consistency of the urban fabric and of the built heritage.?? Indeed, ?the establishment of a small Jewish quarter, with or without a synagogue, on the site of Burj Al-Laqlaq [in the Old City], constituted what he described as both a ?historical falsification and an extremely serious provocation.??