Brussels, April 4th, 2017 – UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova has firmly rebuffed any attempts to deny Jewish history connected to Jerusalem. In a unique statement at the ECI policy conference in the European Parliament on Thursday she said that “in the Torah, Jerusalem is the capital of King David, where Solomon built the Temple and placed the Ark of the Covenant.”Good for her.
Distinguishing between her role as the highest official of UNESCO and the resolutions passed by member states of the same organisation, she stated – “to deny, conceal or erase any of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions undermines the integrity of the site, and runs counter to the reasons that justifies its inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The protection of the heritage of Jerusalem is part of a broader vision for peace and the fight against all forms of denial of Jewish history, delegitimisation of Israel and anti-Semitism”, she said. UNESCO is the United Nations specialized agency for education, science and culture.
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The wording of her statement is a little confusing: it is in the Deuteronomistic History (Joshua - 2 Kings) that Jerusalem becomes King David's capital city and Solomon builds the Temple and places the Ark of the Covenant in it. The term "Torah" usually means specifically the Pentateuch, although it can sometimes be used as a synonym for "Bible," as she is using it here.
But this is a nitpick and her point remains the same.
Background on those unhelpful UNESCO resolutions is here, here, here and links.
