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Palestinians Rage over U.N. Secretary-General Guterres Comments on
Palestinians Rage over U.N. Secretary-General Guterres Comments on al-Aqsa
Mosque Connection to Jewish Heritage
Kifah Ziboun Asharq Al Awsat 30 January 2017
http://english.aawsat.com/2017/01/article55366574/palestinians-rage-u-n-secretary-general-guterres-comments-al-aqsa-mosque-connection-jewish-heritage
Ramallah – Palestinian officials expressed their anger against comments
recently made by the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres in
his interview with Israel radio in New York, on Jerusalem.
“It’s clear as the son is clear that the Temple, which was demolished by the
Romans, is a Jewish temple,” Guterres said.
Guterres has completely neglected the UNESCO resolutions, which clearly said
that the al-Aqsa Mosque is purely an Islamic heritage.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Assistant Ahmed Majdalani said that
remarks made by Guterres is a grave political transgression, and has
negatively affected the credence of the U.N. and is clear that he is siding
with the oppressive occupying settlements, rather than the people of
Palestine. “The statement is a strike to the credibility of the U.N. as a
global organization that should stay to the side of the occupied people and
be against the power of the occupation,” said Majdalani.
Majdalani demanded that the Secretary General clarifies his statements,
given that it goes against all international effort and grants Israel the
green light to move towards Jerusalem.
Majdalani strongly criticized Guterres saying that he “lacks cultural
knowledge, and must keep in mind the UNESCO’s decision, which considered
Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Temple Mount undisputed Islamic holy sites, dedicated
for worship.”
“The U.N. must fulfill its moral and legal obligations towards people of
Palestine still under occupation, and to support initiatives on resolving
the Palestine cause—ducking responsibility makes the international body
useless, becoming a burden to the international committee,” Majdalani said.
Guterres served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and was the
Secretary-General of the Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002. He also served
as President of Socialist International from 1999 to 2005. In 2012, Guterres
appointed American actress Angelina Jolie as his Special Envoy to represent
UNHCR Refugee Agency and himself on a diplomatic level.
Source: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=72110
