Love of the Land: Document: Palestinian NGO's objection to Israeli "Heritage" ties to biblical sites illustrates absence of pluralism

Document: Palestinian NGO's objection to Israeli "Heritage" ties to biblical sites illustrates absence of pluralism

Dr. Aaron Lerner
IMRA
22 February '10

Here is where we are:

1. There are numerous places in the "Holy Land" beyond the "Green Line" that are intimately linked to Jewish history and thus to Jewish identity and heritage. Recognizing these historical links in now way rules out a priori that some of these places may not be under Israeli control in a final status arrangement.

2. There are numerous places in "Historical Palestine" within the "Green Line" that are intimately linked to the history of Arab Palestinians and thus to the identity and heritage of Palestinian Arabs. Recognizing these historical links in now way rules out these places (Jaffo, for example) will remain under Israeli control in a final status arrangement.

3. In the instance that a place that is holy to both Islam and other religions is under Moslem control, non-Moslem prayer is prohibited at the site.

4. As demonstrated in the "Tomb of the Patriarchs" (a place that is holy to both Judaism and other religions is under Israeli control), non-Jewish prayer is also accommodated at the site.

5. As for the Hague and Geneva Conventions cited, inasmuch as Israel has preserved and improved rather than destroyed,.are we to understand that the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights believes that international law somehow supports discrimination against Jews in places holy to Jews and Moslems?

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PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Press Release

Ref: 10/2010
Date: 22 February 2010
Time: 11:30 GMT

PCHR Condemns Israel's Decision to Include the Ibrahimi Mosque and Bilal Ben Rabah Mosque on the List of Israeli Archaeological Sites

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns a decisions taken by the Israeli government on Sunday, 21 February 2010, to include the "Tomb of the Patriarch" (the Ibrahimi Mosque) in Hebron and "Rachel Tomb" (Bilal Ben Rabah Mosque) in Bethlehem on the list of Israeli archaeological sites.

(Read full PCHR press release)

Love of the Land: Document: Palestinian NGO's objection to Israeli "Heritage" ties to biblical sites illustrates absence of pluralism