Paris, 25 October 2018
In a letter to King Abdallah of Jordan, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, denounced “demands by Fatah-affiliated officials for the King to coordinate with the Palestinian President, to oblige Israel to implement a UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem.”,
“Your Majesty, we recall your hospitality to our Centre’s delegation in Amman, just as granted to us by your late father, King Hussein (r.i.p.), to celebrate the signing of peace between the Hashemite Kingdom and the State of Israel,” noted Samuels, continuing, “In your capacity as ‘Custodian of Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy sites’, we value your recognition of the city’s sanctity to all three monotheistic religions, especially Judaism. This is also the position of Israel.”
The Centre added: “you are, of course, aware that one of your petitioners, Hassan Issa, Secretary General of a Muslim-Christian Committee, is well-known for his antisemitic campaigns to ‘de-Judaize’ the Holy City, to the point of denying Jewish affinity to the Western Wall”...
“Issa claims that the latest UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem, two weeks ago in Paris, ‘reaffirmed that ‘legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying power, which have altered or purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem... are null and void and must be rescinded forthwith'.”
Samuels argued: “Your Majesty - following the goodwill depoliticization lead of UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay - Jordan, Israel and the Palestinians agreed to a consensus in the cause of the said Executive Board resolution. Indeed, I was present in the Chamber and witnessed that the resolution was not submitted to a vote and was ensconced in a non-binding, non-referential Annex.”
The Palestinian initiative is no more than a mischevous breach of faith to undermine the Director-General and trap Your Majesty in a stratagem to tarnish the good faith of Jordan... Our Centre urges Your Majesty to resist this provocation and consign their demand to oblivion,” concluded Samuels.