The Association of Palestinian Scholars and Preachers praised the controversial decision of UNESCO, which recently denied Jewish history at the Temple Mount and referred to the area only as the religious Islamic sites "Al-Haram Al-Sharif" and “Al-Aqsa Mosque."I would phrase the last clause of the last sentence a little more precisely. The archaeological case for the existence of the Herodian Temple (and therefore the Second Temple, of which the former was an extensive refurbishment) is overwhelming. The case for the existence of the First Temple is inferential, but compelling. No specialist in ancient Jewish history or the archaeology of the region doubts the existence of these temples. If you want more details, see the recent story of the embarrassing article on the subject published by the New York Times, one which resulted in repeated retractions by the Times.
The Association declared this decision a victory for the religious and historical legitimacy of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is built on the Mount - the holiest site in Judaism.
The Association further declared that the term Temple Mount is an "historical lie" invented by Jews, and that history is not allowed to be established on “lies," in an ironic statement given that the First and Second Temples stood at the site, as has been repeatedly proven by archaeology.
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Background on that UNESCO resolution is here and links.
