A United Nations committee has agreed to designate the archaeological finds surrounding the ancient city of Jericho as a World Heritage Site in Palestine, which has infuriated some Israeli authorities.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) oversees the World Heritage Committee.
In 2019, Israel resigned from UNESCO due to what it saw as the organization's anti-Israel bias, EuroNews said. Jericho is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited towns and one of the most populous places in the West Bank.
Tourists visit the pre-historic site of Tell al-Sultan, near the Palestinian city of Jericho in the occupied West Bank on September 17, 2023, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on the same day. Tell al-Sultan, which predates Egypt's pyramids, is an oval-shaped tell, or mound, located in the Jordan Valley that contains the prehistoric deposits of human activity. The UNESCO decision, which was posted by the organization on X, formerly Twitter, was taken at its 45th world heritage committee meeting held in Riyadh.
'Ancient Jericho' / Tell Es-Sultan
The remains outside the city, known as Tell es-Sultan or "Ancient Jericho," were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site after a referendum. As a place of religious significance to Jews and Christians alike, the organization stressed that Jericho was excluded from the scope of their proclamation. The ancient monument is instead acknowledged.
According to ABC News, an official from UNESCO stated during the talk, "Later historical developments, which span over millennia and are demonstrated by material remains beyond the boundaries of Tell as-Sultan, constitute a rich cultural context, worth of historical interest and preservation, covering among others, Jewish and Christian heritage. However, this is not the focus of the proposed nomination."
The Book of Joshua details Israel's conquest of Jericho and is the biblical source for the city's prominence.
Israeli legislator Dan Illouz opposed the proposal on the eve of the weekend vote. He stated, "Jericho is first and foremost a city of Biblical significance. Blurring this fact is an insult to the millions of Jews and Christians all over the world."
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US Position Towards UNESCO
According to Fox News, there have been accusations that UNESCO is a haven for anti-Israel prejudice, with the organization being singled out for criticism of Israel's occupation of east Jerusalem, the designation of historic Jewish sites as Palestinian heritage sites, and the admission of Palestine as a full member in 2011.
After Israel's charges of prejudice were heard, the Trump administration decided to leave UNESCO in 2019 as well. Former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said that UNESCO was among the most corrupt and politically biased UN agencies.
Nevertheless, early this year, the Biden administration sent signals that it was interested in rejoining UNESCO.
According to a June statement from a State Department spokesperson, the Biden administration is unanimous in its belief that the US must be engaged and active on the global stage wherever its interests may be preserved and promoted.
Those interests include, according to the representative, a focus on educating the public about the Holocaust, ensuring the safety of journalists, preserving cultural artifacts, protecting press freedom, and establishing best practices for developing technology.
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