Israel and Palestinians Agree on U.N. Work in Jerusalem

 
Ahmad Gharabli/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A Palestinian man walked past ultra-Orthodox Jews as they prayed in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem last year. Unesco experts will inspect cultural heritage sites in mid-May.
By STEVEN ERLANGER
Published: April 23, 2013
PARIS — Israel and the Palestinians agreed on Tuesday to renewed involvement by Unesco, the United Nations cultural agency, in the Old City of Jerusalem. The agreement was a small but significant breakthrough in the often highly politicized workings of the agency.

 
The deal concerns the Old City and its walls, including the Western Wall and an ascent to the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif. It was brokered in an unusual partnership between the United States and Russia, with the help of Jordan, Brazil and the director general of Unesco, Irina Bokova. As part of the arrangement, the Palestinians agreed to postpone five resolutions critical of Israel that were pending before the agency.

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B'nai B'rith Europe is deeply shocked and angry to learn of the terrorist attacks that took place in Boston during the Marathon held on the occasion of the Patriot Day.
 
First and foremost the victims and their families are uppermost in our thoughts and prayers. May those who survive be granted a speedy recovery and, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families of all who died.
 
We extend to President Obama and the American people our deepest condolences at this time. Let the American people know, that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the fight to eradicate terrorism and those who harbour such evil people.

UNESCO silent as Hamas bulldozes world heritage site to make terrorist training camp

UNESCO session in Paris busy targeting Israel in 5 agenda items

GENEVA, April 15– In an urgent letter sent today to UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova , UN Watch demanded immediate action to stop the Hamas bulldozing of a 3000-year-old Gaza harbour for use as a terrorist training camp, as reported by Al Monitor Palestine Pulse. A copy was also sent to EU foreign minister Catherine Ashton calling on the EU to take action.

The partial destruction of the ancient Anthedon Harbor—which includes the ruins of a Roman temple and archaeological remains from the Persian, Hellenistic, and Byzantine eras—comes exactly one year after the area was nominated by new UNESCO member state Palestine as a World Heritage site.

UN Watch called on Bokova to bring the issue before the UNESCO Executive Board now meeting in Paris.

Although the biannual UNESCO meeting, which runs until April 26, lists five agenda items concerning Palestinian issues—which US Ambassador Killion has described as "highly politicized" and designed to "single out Israel"—there is currently no scheduled discussion to address the month-long Hamas bulldozing of the proposed heritage site for use as a terrorist training camp.

As is the norm at UNESCO, Israel is the only country in the world targeted for criticism at this month's Executive Board session. In this respect, UNESCO arguably ranks as the most anti-Israel agency in the United Nations system.

Last year, only after a major UN Watch campaign, UNESCO exceptionally condemned Syria. Yet nothing is planned on Syria in the current session; on the contrary, the murderous Assad regime continues to hold one of 30 coveted seats on UNESCO's human rights committee, absurdly allowing it to judge the human rights records of other countries.

Photo by Osservatore Romano/REUTERS
Source Israel Jewish Journal

If the Jewish world was waiting for a sign from Pope Francis regarding his relations with its community, it didn't take long.
On his first day as Pope today, Francis I wrote to the Chief Rabbi of the Rome Jewish Community, Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, inviting him to his Inauguration on March 19, and expressing his hope of a renewed collaboration with the Jewish Community.

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A historic speech at the European Parliament - March 2013
Report by Nuno Wahnon Martins
Brussels
March 13, 2013



Israel's President Shimon Peres' visit to the institutions of the European Union ended with a historic speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg where he addressed a plenary session of the House. He concentrated on three main issues: Hezbollah and Iran, the agreements between Israel and the European Union and the need for global enterprises to invest in the Middle East to create lasting developments.

During last week's visit Peres started his European Union programme in the European Parliament where he was the keynote speaker at a ceremony commemorating the saving of Bulgarian Jews. Not only did he praise the Bulgarian people, but he also praised the moral importance of their action which should stand as an example to others.

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