Report by Dr Shimon Samuels

New Delhi (WHC 46th session), 5 August 2024

UNESCO member-States wait for years for their national cultural treasures to receive World Heritage Status.

Yet, one exception is represented by “Palestine”, that uses the “fast-track” procedure, claiming a “state of danger” to appropriate Jewish and Christian heritage sites and build their own historical narrative from scratch.

Last year, at the World Heritage Committee 45th session in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, “Palestine” grabbed Tell es Sultan / ancient Jericho, a site mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures of around 1500 BCE.

President Abbas claimed the site “testified to the authenticity and history of the Palestinian people”, thus exhorting a political backing of the World Heritage Committee.

In fact, since the 2011 entry of “Palestine” into UNESCO, both Jewish and Christian heritage sites and culture have been in its sights – such as the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem (the birthplace of Jesus) or the Tomb of the Biblical Patriarchs in Hebron...

This year, indeed, the ruins of Saint Hilarion Monastery in Gaza – thought to be the first monastic community in the Holy Land since the 4th century for both the Catholic and the Orthodox churches – has been added as an endangered site. Damaged over the centuries, the site known as Tell Umm Amer in Arabic has remained untouched by Israel in the present war.

“Palestine” was granted this site, with only two voting “against”: Argentina and the host country India.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has tried depoliticization of the “Heritage game”. Unfortunately, it would seem to be a lost and late cause.

We should, however, be concerned by the ridiculous and dangerous claim, shouted in street protests, of “Jesus was a Palestinian!”... indeed a new form of cultural misappropriation and antisemitism.

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Free all the hostages now!

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