UNESCO criticises Israel's actions in new resolution

The UN cultural agency adopted a highly controversial Arab-sponsored resolution on Tuesday condemning Israel's actions at a flashpoint holy site in east Jerusalem which has sparked anger and fury in the Jewish state.

The UNESCO resolution on "occupied Palestine" was drafted by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan. It was endorsed on Teusday by the executive board after being approved at the committee stage last week.

Referring throughout to Israel as "the occupying power,"it condemns Israel for restricting Muslims' access to theAl-Aqsa mosque compound -- Islam's third holiest site.

But it is the language used to describe the Old City site, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews, that has infuriated Israel, which suspended its cooperation with theParis-based UN body last week.

While acknowledging the importance of the Old City to "the three monotheistic religions" (Islam, Judaism andChristianity) the resolution refers throughout to the site byits Muslim names, Al-Aqsa or Al-Haram al-Sharif.

Jews however revere it as the Temple Mount where theFirst and Second Temples once stood and the holiest site in Judaism. Palestine's deputy ambassador to UNESCO, Mounir Anastas, welcomed the adoption of the resolution, saying he hoped it would pressure Israeli authorities to "stop all their violations", particularly the excavation of sites in and around the Old City.

But Israel's UNESCO ambassador, Carmel Shama Hacohen,accused the Palestinians of playing "games". "This is the wrong place to solve problems between countries or people," he told AFP.

This is the second time this year that the UN agency,which accepted Palestine as a full member state in 2011, has been the focal point of tensions between Israel and Arab countries.

In April, it passed a resolution condemning "Israeli aggressions and illegal measures against the freedom ofworship and Muslims' access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque".

That led Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu topropose a "seminar on Jewish history" for UN staff in Israel. The atmosphere before the vote on Tuesday was soured further by threats received by telephone and on social media last week, a UNESCO official said.

The text had created unease at the top of the organisation, with Michael Worbs, who chairs UNESCO'sexecutive board, saying he would have liked more time to work out a compromise.

UNESCO chief Irina Bokova distanced herself from the resolutions, saying in a statement that "nowhere more than in Jerusalem do Jewish, Christian and Muslim heritage and traditions share space."