“Jericho is the access point of the Israelite people to the Land of Israel,” he continued. “Any denial of this fact is shameful and wrong, and nothing will replace the truth. “
“Israel does not recognize or accept UNESCO’s distorted resolution and will continue to fight against its legitimacy,” he stressed.
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The archaeological site of Tell es-Sultan, near Jericho in the West Bank, is on view Sunday, September 17, 2023. A U. N. convention voted Sunday to list it as a World Heritage Site within the Palestinian Authority, a move likely to anger Israel, which controls the territory and does not recognize a Palestinian state. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illéan)
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted to reclaim the ruins outside the city, known as Tell es-Sultan or “ancient Jericho,” as a world heritage site. The organization clarified that it does not apply to Jericho. as a Jewish or Christian historical site. Instead, it recognizes the prehistoric site.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement Sunday immediately after the vote, declaring its intention to work with allies and opposing what it called a “distorted” decision.
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Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, holds a sign reading “Iranian women deserve freedom now” seconds after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi began addressing world leaders at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, September 19, 2023, in New York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The Palestinian Authority, a decade ago through the United Nations as a non-member observer state, welcomed the appointment of Tell es Sultan.
Israel and the United States left UNESCO in 2019 under Trump’s direction over considerations about anti-Israel bias, adding the designation of Jewish sites as Palestinian heritage sites. The committee also awarded the club to the Palestinians in 2011.
The archaeological site of Tell es-Sultan, near Jericho in the West Bank, is on view Sunday, September 17, 2023. A U. N. convention voted Sunday to list it as a World Heritage Site within the Palestinian Authority, a move likely to anger Israel, which controls the territory and does not recognize a Palestinian state. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illéan)
President Biden made it a priority to rejoin UNESCO shortly after taking office, completing the procedure in July 2023. Biden’s leadership has expressed fear that, in his absence, China has acquired a strong leadership role in the organization, which it has used for its symbol and expanded reach. His influence on comfortable power.
The elegant city of Jericho is a major tourist attraction in the Palestinian territories, due to its ancient sites and proximity to the Dead Sea. In 2021, the Palestinian Authority unveiled major renovations to one of the largest mosaics in the Middle East for the eighth time. Nineteenth century palace in Jericho.
The archaeological site of Tell es-Sultan, near Jericho in the West Bank, is on view Sunday, September 17, 2023. A U. N. convention voted Sunday to list it as a World Heritage Site within the Palestinian Authority, a move likely to anger Israel, which controls the territory and does not recognize a Palestinian state. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illéan)
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Tell es-Sultan, an oval-shaped mound, lines of one of the earliest villages known to mankind and a vital Bronze Age city dating back to 2,600 BC. It is about 2 kilometers from the remains of the first city of Jericho, which is in ruins. vital to Jewish history, adding a synagogue dating from the first century B. C.
UNESCO was co-founded through the United States after World War II to build peace through foreign cooperation in education, science and culture, as well as to protect World Heritage sites.
Anders Hagstrom of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter who focuses on national news.