sUNESCO, the cultural body of the United Nations, on Friday added the old town of Hebron in the West Bank, a pilgrimage site for Christians, Jews and Muslims, to its World Heritage List.
UNESCO also added Hebron to its list of World Heritage in Danger.
The World Heritage Committee made the announcement, following a meeting in the southern Polish city of Krakow, where cultural experts and historians are meeting until July 12 to decide the status of over 30 sites nominated to the list.
The committee upheld a controversial emergency request of the Palestinians in making the decision, prompting outrage in Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would reduce the country’s UN membership contribution by 1 million dollars.
The old town and its Cave of the Patriarchs are now listed as “Palestinian World Heritage Sites” by the UN cultural body.
Until the early 20th century, both Muslims and Jews lived in Hebron.
In a massacre in 1929, an angry crowd of Arabs killed a total of 67 Jews in the city.
British forces, who were in control of the city at the time, evacuated Jewish citizens out of the old town.
After the conquest of the city by Israeli troops in 1967, Jews returned to the old town.
Hebron has been divided since 1998: One part controlled by the Palestinian Authority, one by Israel.
Report says in the part controlled by Israel, 800 Jewish settlers live surrounded by about 50,000 Palestinians.
(dpa/NAN)
ACO/AFA