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Source: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.747669
The Palestinians' Calculated Play to Define an Exclusively Muslim Jerusalem
(Ha'aretz) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - Last week, the Executive Board of UNESCO approved an irresponsible measure that denies Jerusalem's historical record and diminishes Jewish and Christian ties to the holy city. This approach is both flawed and dangerous; a peaceful resolution and the future of Jerusalem cannot be dictated, it must be mutually agreed upon by both the Palestinians and Israelis. Nowhere in the UNESCO document will you see any culpability for the Palestinian Authority's incitement to violence and terror that has gripped Jerusalem over the past year. UNESCO and the UN writ large wish to recognize the Palestinians as a legitimate and self-governing state, but when it comes to accountability, it absolves their leaders of any responsibility for the actions of their people. That is why it is incumbent upon the U.S. to vehemently oppose measures like this and stand in support of Israel to defeat efforts aimed at delegitimizing the Jewish state's right to exist. When the agency tasked with preserving history and culture is erasing it, the system is obviously broken. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) is Chairman Emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and current Chairman of its Middle East and North Africa subcommittee.