UNESCO's World Heritage Committee voted to recognize Tel Jericho, Tell es-Sultan, in Jericho in the Jordan Valley, as a "Palestinian heritage site". The decision was made in a vote held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where the UN organization made it clear that near this site there are also sites of Jewish heritage that are not included in the list but there is value in preserving them.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attacked the decision of the UNESCO Heritage Committee on the subject: "Despite the message of the Secretary-General of the UNESCO Heritage Committee, which separates the registration of the prehistoric site from Jewish and Christian sites in the region, and despite the many and sincere efforts of the UNESCO Secretary-General, Audrey Azoulay, to balance the decision, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sees the decision made today as another sign of the Palestinians' cynical use of UNESCO and the politicization of the organization. Israel will work with its many friends in the organization to change all the distorted decisions that were made."
The chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Abu Mazen, said that the decision to annex Tell es-Sultan "is of great importance, it is a testimony to the authenticity and history of the Palestinian people. The Authority will continue to preserve this unique site for all of humanity."
