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Heritage Site Is Jewish, Not Just Palestinian
(Commentary) Jonathan S. Tobin - On Monday, the New York Times reported about the effort by Palestinians to have the village of Battir designated as a World Heritage site because of the ancient terraced irrigation system there. But this completely ignores the Jewish heritage of the area. Battir is not just a Palestinian village with an old irrigation system but was the site of the ancient Jewish fortress of Betar, the site of the last organized resistance to Roman rule in 135 CE during the Bar Kochba revolt. Moreover, far from being a remnant of the Roman presence, the irrigation system predates their presence and is clearly the product of biblical-era Jewish settlement. A main point here is the willful erasure of the Jewish connections of a place that Palestinians are seeking to have honored for its historical significance. If UNESCO is to grant this site the World Heritage designation, it should, at the very least, declare it to be important to the history of both Jews and Palestinians.