Israel Halts Cooperation With UNESCO Over Resolution on Jerusalem - Minister

The Israeli National Commission for UNESCO decided to halt cooperation with the UN agency in protest against its resolution on Jerusalem, which dismisses the ties of the Jewish people to the Temple Mount, Naftali Bennett, Israeli education minister and president of the Commission, said Friday.

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) — Bennett also said that UNESCO's move "provides immediate support to Islamic terror."

"Following the shameful decision by UNESCO members to deny history and ignore thousands of years of Jewish ties to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, I have notified the Israel National Commission for UNESCO to suspend all professional activities with the international organization," Bennett said in a letter to UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

UNESCO's Executive Committee on Thursday voted for the resolution, which acknowledges Jerusalem to be a holy city for Muslims, Christians and Jewish people, but names the Temple Mount a Muslim holy site.

The resolution, which was put forward by Palestine along with Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan, was approved by 24 members of the 58-member organization, including Russia. Twenty-six countries abstained from voting, while only six countries voted against it.