Hamas on Saturday leveled heavy criticism at Irina Bokova UNESCO Director-General after she distanced herself from Thursday’s vote on al-Aqsa Mosque.
According to Hamas Bokova opted for the position following pressure from the Israeli occupation.
Hamas called on Bokova to never succumb to Israeli pressure and respect UNESCO’s resolution denying any Israeli link to the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“The heritage of Jerusalem is indivisible and each of its communities has a right to the explicit recognition of their history and relationship with the city” Bokova claimed in a statement.
Jerusalem’s Old City was designated a World Heritage site because of its “universal value … which is an appeal for dialogue not confrontation” Bokova added.
The Palestinians expect Bokova to focus her efforts on implementing the will of member states and preserving Occupied Jerusalem from the Israeli aggressions and attempt to wipe its inherently Islamic identity.
A UNESCO draft resolution passed on Thursday condemned Israel’s policies around al-Aqsa Mosque and denied Jewish ties to the holy site.
Israel suspended cooperation with UNESCO on Friday a day after the UN cultural body criticized it for restricting Muslim access to the site and for aggression by Israeli police and soldiers. UNESCO also recognized Israel as the occupying power.
The holy al-Aqsa Mosque in eastern Occupied Jerusalem is the third-holiest site in Islam.
