Pictured Above: A view of Jerusalem. Credit: Berthold Werner via Wikimedia Commons.

(JNS.org) According to a resolution draft obtained by Israeli government officials, Arab states plan to challenge Israeli sovereignty in all of Jerusalem at the upcoming UNESCO Executive Board meeting in Paris, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The text was submitted by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan on behalf of the Palestinians, and marks the first time Arab states have contested Israeli sovereignty in western Jerusalem.

The resolution states, “Any action taken by Israel, the Occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction, and administration on the city of Jerusalem, are illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever.”

Although the text does not specifically comment on the Temple Mount and Western Wall, it does attempt to classify Jewish holy sites such as the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem as being “an integral part of Palestine.” 

A vote on the resolution will be cast at UNESCO May 1. 

The UNESCO resolution comes amid new efforts by the Trump administration to negotiate a regional peace accord. 

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