New Delhi: Israeli officials and a high-level delegation from Palestine will arrive in New Delhi in a couple of days to participate in the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hosted by India from 21 to 31 July.
The Palestinian delegation will include Palestine’s ambassador to UNESCO, Mounir Anastas, and two officials from the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Ramallah — Ahmed Rajoub, director general of heritage, and Hanan Najjajrah, a site manager. Palestine’s ambassador to India, Adnan Abu Al Haija, will also join.
Israeli diplomats, including Haim Assaraf, the country’s ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), will be attending as non-voting observers, according to sources. Both Israel and the US had withdrawn from the UN agency in 2019, with Tel Aviv citing concerns that the organisation harbours an anti-Israel bias.
That said, last September, Israeli officials and diplomats attended the 45th World Heritage Committee meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as observers. This was weeks before the war in Gaza began, at a time when the US was attempting to normalise ties between Tel Aviv and Riyadh.
The World Heritage Committee meets once a year. It is responsible for selecting cultural and natural heritage across the world to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It comprises representatives from 21 countries who are party to the World Heritage Convention.
According to the UNESCO website, Palestine is a “ratified” member (R) and Israel has an “acceptance” (Ac) tag. “Acceptance” is when a country’s signature to the convention is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval and therefore, does not establish the consent to be bound.
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Palestinian demand to UNESCO
The Palestinian delegation is expected to put forth its demand to include the site of Tell Umm Amer in the list of “World Heritage in Danger”. This list includes sites facing conditions that threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Their inclusion is intended to encourage corrective action.
Tell Umm Amer is not a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been under the “Tentative Heritage List” since 2012. It is an archaeological site in the Gaza Strip that comprises the remains of the Monastery of Saint Hilarion.
“India’s support for the inclusion of this site will be highly appreciated as it demonstrates India’s efforts in enhancing the Palestinians’ capabilities in protecting important heritage and historical sites,” Dr Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, Counsellor (Political and Media) at the Palestinian Embassy in India, told ThePrint.
“By registering the site, Palestine seeks to provide protection for heritage sites that are being targeted and systematically destroyed by the Israeli occupation forces,” he added.
India has tried to maintain a delicate balancing act between Israel and Palestine since the start of the war in Gaza last October. Narendra Modi — the first Indian PM to visit Israel — condemned the 7 October terror attack by Hamas and expressed solidarity with Israel. It set India apart from reactions in the ‘Global South’, and hewed closer to that of Western countries at the time. Five days later, the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that New Delhi maintained its “long-standing” position on the need for a two-state solution to the conflict.
Over the course of the war, India has abstained from resolutions in the UN calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza but backed Palestine’s bid for membership at the UN last month.
New Delhi has provided 70 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Palestine while also facing pressure from Israel to designate Hamas as a terror group.
Earlier this week, India contributed to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) at a time when other world powers like the US and UK have frozen funds to the UN agency.
UNRWA has faced allegations from Israel of its staff having links to Hamas.
(Edited by Rohan Manoj)
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