UNESCO Lists Ruins Near Jericho as Palestinian Heritage Site

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (unesco) demonstrated its anti-Semitism once again by listing the Tel es-Sultan archaeological site in Jericho, Israel, as a Palestinian World Heritage Site on September 17.

Jericho is in the West Bank, which Israel has controlled, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, since the Six-Day War in 1967. The city is administered by the Palestinian Authority, which has long been in conflict with Israel’s government as both lay claim to the same territory.

Jericho features prominently in the Hebrew Bible and contains ruins of great historical importance to the Jews, including a synagogue from the first century b.c. Yet unesco focused instead on the Tel es-Sultan archaeological site.

Israel disapproves: Israel Knesset Member Dan Illouz expressed the absurdity of unesco’s decision:

Jericho is first and foremost a city of biblical significance. Blurring this fact is an insult to the millions of Jews and Christians all over the world.

Prof. Eugene Kontorovich of Jerusalem’s Kohelet Policy Forum went a step further, saying the decision “ethnically cleanses Jews from the history of ancient Jericho—even as the Jews worldwide were busy celebrating Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year.”

Patterns of anti-Semitism: Israel quit unesco in 2019 because of its anti-Israel bias and continued denial of Jewish attachment to historical and religious sites in the West Bank.

• Between 2009 and 2019, unesco put out 71 critical and condemning resolutions against Israel.
• In July 2017, unesco refused to recognize the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount and the Tomb of the Patriarch in Hebron.
• The organization has even tried to prevent archaeological excavations in ancient Jerusalem.

Prophecy says: unesco’s listing of these ruins as a Palestinian heritage site is part of a larger trend the Trumpet watches. The anti-Semitism displayed in unesco will become more widespread.

In Psalm 83, the Bible prophesies of a German-led Europe working together with Arab nations to persecute Israel: “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee” (verses 4-5). The following verses list a group of nations working together under Assur, or Germany, to destroy Israel.

Learn more: Read “Israel Officially Quits UN Cultural Organization.”