US official raps 'biased' UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem

"The United States rejects the 'biased' and 'counterproductive' UNESCO resolution passed Tuesday that suggested Israel has no sovereign claim to Jerusalem, a spokesman for the US Mission to the United Nations told The Times of Israel.

'Once again, the United States rejects the adoption of these anti-Israel resolutions at UNESCO,' the US official said. 'Like other parts of the UN system, UNESCO is too often used as a vehicle by member states inclined to deride and delegitimize the State of Israel.'...

'Although several of these anti-Israel resolutions are typically adopted biannually at UNESCO, over time they have become increasingly political in nature, and now attempt to deny the historic connections of the Jewish people to the holy sites of Jerusalem,' the US official said.

'These biased resolutions are counterproductive to the core work of UNESCO, discredit the organization, and do nothing to advance Israeli-Palestinian issues,' the official added. 'There is no place for them in an organization that is meant to be impartial.'...

Tuesday's motion received less support than others critical of Israel, something the US official acknowledged. 'We are encouraged by the diminishing levels of support for these resolutions, and we are grateful for those member nations who today voted against the resolution,' he said.

The official would not say exactly how the US will respond.

'We are disappointed these kind of resolutions continue to receive attention in UNESCO, and we will continue to advocate for the fair treatment of Israel in all international fora,' he said..."