The recent vote by UNESCO, the UN’s cultural agency, in favor of a resolution that denied Jewish historical ties to Jerusalem was “mistaken, inconceivable” and “shocking,” Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Friday, promising that his country would vote against such resolutions in the future.
Italy abstained from voting on the resolution, which passed 24-6 with 26 abstentions.
“It is not possible to continue with these resolutions at the UN and UNESCO that aim to attack Israel,” Renzi told an Italian radio station while visiting Brussels. “It is shocking and I have ordered that we stop taking this position [abstaining] even if it means diverging from the position taken by the rest of Europe. I have asked diplomats handling these issues to cease doing so.”
If anyone wants to say something about Israel, let them say it, but they shouldn’t use UNESCO… To say that the Jews have no links to Jerusalem is like saying the sun creates darkness.
Renzi also said that he will summon Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni when he returns to explain why Italy abstained instead of voting against the resolution.
“We warmly congratulate the Italian government and the Italian Prime Minster for this useful statement,” Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon said in response. “We hope Italy guides the way for other European countries and countries all over the world.”
Nineteen legislators from 17 nations currently visiting Israel also condemned the resolution, Israel Hayom reported. The lawmakers said in a statement that the resolution was “disconnected from reality and is incorrect. We will work toward the international recognition of Jerusalem, as the undivided, eternal capital of the State of Israel.” Among the countries represented were Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa, Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Chile.
The vote was also criticized by outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, and 40 members of Congress. Representative Ted Lieu (D – Calif.) mocked the resolution in a statement that included a satirical greeting from UNESCO: “Please visit our alternate universe often, where you will see unicorns and flying dragons. But in the UNESCO alt-reality, you won’t encounter any Jews or Christians because they don’t exist.”
In contrast, the vote was praised by members of the Palestinian terror group Hamas. “We commend the vote at the UNESCO that denied any historic claims between Jews and the al-Aqsa Mosque and its Western Wall,” spokesman Izzat al-Resheq said in a statement to Al-Jazeera.
[Photo: Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia / Flickr ]