UNESCO joins Palestinians in rewriting Jewish history in Judea and Samaria – opinion

The article discusses UNESCO's alleged role in a Palestinian Authority (PA) campaign to erase Jewish history in Judea and Samaria. It claims the PA has submitted numerous Jewish historical sites to UNESCO's World Heritage List, rebranding them as "Palestinian" or "Islamic" and removing Jewish associations. UNESCO is accused of complicity in this "cultural genocide," similar to its past resolutions denying Jewish ties to the Temple Mount.

• The PA's actions include the physical destruction of archaeological sites through looting and bulldozing, with 80% of significant heritage sites in Judea and Samaria reportedly damaged.
• Examples of destruction include illegal construction on the Temple Mount in 1999, attempts to pave over Joshua's Altar on Mount Ebal, and the destruction of parts of King Solomon's aqueduct system in 2022.
• UNESCO recently declared Sebastia/Samaria, the biblical capital of Israel, as a Palestinian heritage site, and is considering 22 more, including Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls) and Herodian.
• Israel has recently begun to assert its rights at Sebastia, resuming archaeological digs and investing in tourism, and has approved NIS 113 million for the protection and development of 70 heritage sites in Judea and Samaria, signaling a policy shift.