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  • Palestinians: UN heritage nod is political victory

    The Associated Press
    June 29, 2012 Friday 07:05 PM GMT



    Palestinians: UN heritage nod is political victory

    By DALIA NAMMARI and KARIN LAUB, Associated Press
    BETHLEHEM, West Bank


    The Palestinians on Friday persuaded the U.N. cultural agency to list
    the Church of the Nativity the place where Christians believe Jesus
    was born as an endangered World Heritage site despite misgivings by
    churches in charge of the basilica.

    The Palestinians hailed the nod by UNESCO as a step forward in their
    quest for global recognition of an independent Palestine in the West
    Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in 1967.

    The centuries-old basilica is located in a part of the
    Israeli-occupied West Bank where the Palestinians have self-rule.
    UNESCO's decision was seen by them as validation of their rights to
    the territory.

    "We are ecstatic," Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi said of
    Friday's 13-6 by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, meeting in St.
    Petersburg, Russia.

    The Palestinians had argued that the shrine faces imminent danger,
    both because of overdue repairs and Israel's continued occupation of
    the West Bank.

    Israel and the U.S. strongly opposed the emergency bid, arguing that
    the church is not under threat, a position backed by a U.N. experts
    committee.

    Israeli officials have said they don't object to the church being
    listed, but reject the "endangered" label which implies culpability of
    Israel, which in practice remains the ultimate sovereign in the West
    Bank.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Palestinians are
    "engaging in unilateral actions that only distance peace" and that
    UNESCO is driven by political considerations.

    Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said the Palestinians now plan
    to submit more sites in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem. The
    new bids could stir more political tensions, particularly in east
    Jerusalem, which Israel annexed to its capital after the 1967 war.

    Ashrawi said Friday's vote is the beginning of a process.

    "Our identity, our place in civilization, in history, are being
    recognized, are beginning to be safeguarded in the face of the Israeli
    occupation's encroachment, the confiscation of our land, our culture,"
    she said.

    The U.S. ambassador to UNESCO, David Killion, said Washington was
    "profoundly disappointed" by the vote. The U.S. has been trying to
    block the Palestinian recognition campaign, and withdrew tens of
    millions of dollars in funding from UNESCO after the Paris-based
    agency accepted the Palestinians as a state member last year.

    Joining UNESCO was part of a wider Palestinian attempt to win global
    recognition for a state of Palestine in the territories Israel
    occupied in 1967.

    Israelis and Palestinians were to have negotiated the borders of a
    Palestinian state, but two decades of intermittent talks produced no
    results. The last round broke off in 2008, and the Israeli and
    Palestinian leaders have failed to agree on rules for renewing them.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads a self-rule government
    in charge of 38 percent of the West Bank, says negotiations with
    Israel remain his preferred choice, but wants global recognition to
    improve his leverage. An attempt to win full U.N. membership has
    stalled, but meanwhile Palestinians are pushing for membership in U.N.
    agencies.

    In their first move at UNESCO, they submitted the Nativity Church and
    a nearby pilgrimage route as endangered heritage sites, asking to
    fast-track the nomination rather than go through the normal 18-month
    procedure.

    They argued that the church is in urgent need of repairs, particularly
    a leaky wooden roof. Palestinian officials said foreign donors
    promised $20 million for the work, but so far have paid only $3
    million, not enough to get started.

    Palestinians argued that Israel's continued control over the area also
    threatens the site.

    A decade ago, when Israel launched a major offensive against
    Palestinian militants, the church was caught in the crossfire:
    Palestinian gunmen holed up inside for more than a month, with Israeli
    tanks and troops surrounding the shrine.

    Referring to the violent standoff in Friday's statement, Netanyahu put
    the blame on the Palestinians.

    "The world needs to remember that the Church of the Nativity that is
    so sacred to Christianity was desecrated in the past by Palestinian
    terrorists," he said.

    Today, Bethlehem is ringed on three sides by walls of cement slabs and
    fences of Israel's separation barrier to Israel a defense against
    Palestinians militants, and to Palestinians a blatant land grab
    disguised as a security measure.

    A U.N. experts committee recommended that the Palestinians go through
    the normal procedure, instead of seeking the "endangered" label, but
    the Palestinians refused to withdraw the bid.

    The churches in charge of the shrine Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox
    and Armenian also expressed concern, apparently fearing a World
    Heritage designation would lead to interference by the Palestinian
    government and the U.N.

    The church is run according to a 19th century codex, known as the
    Status Quo which assigns responsibilities for upkeep that are
    jealously guarded by each denomination.

    Palestinian officials say they've addressed the concerns by the churches.

    In Bethlehem's Manger Square, next to the shrine, reaction was
    relatively muted Friday.

    A celebration organized by local officials only brought several dozen
    people to the square, including youngsters in yellow T-shirts with the
    inscription "I love Jesus."

    Palestinian Tourism Minister Rula Ma'ayah said she hopes the new
    heritage listing will bring more visitors. Currently, some 100,000
    tourists come to Bethlehem every month.

    Shop and hotel owners routinely complain they lose business because
    Israeli-run tour buses stop in Bethlehem just long enough for a visit
    to the church and then take pilgrims back to Jerusalem, a few
    kilometers (miles) to the north. During a recent visit, most shops on
    Star Street, part of the pilgrimage route, were closed.

    Nabil Ziacaman, a souvenir shop owner, said Friday's vote is a step
    toward recognizing a state of Palestine, but won't help his business.
    "Everyone in the world knows the Church of the Nativity and where it
    is located," he said. The new label "won't bring more tourism."

    Christina Yacoub, 20, from Lakeland, Florida, was more enthusiastic.
    Emerging from the church, said she expected more pilgrims now. The
    vote "shows how important this country is."


    Laub reported from Jericho, West Bank. Associated Press writer Aron
    Heller in Jerusalem and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed reporting.


    From: Baghdasarian
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