The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the listing is “another sign of Palestinians’ cynical use of UNESCO and politicization of the organization.”
The UNESCO decision was made on September 17, during the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee has decided to inscribe the ancient Palestinian city of Jericho, also known as Tell es-Sultan, on the World Heritage List.
READ: UNESCO Declares Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan World Heritage Site
Israel withdrew from UNESCO in 2019, alleging that the UN organization was biased against it. However, it sent a delegation to Riyadh as it remains a member of the World Heritage Convention.
The inclusion of Tell es-Sultan on the prestigious list is an acknowledgment of the immense cultural and historical significance of Ancient Jericho, located in the Jordan Valley region, east of the occupied West Bank.
Jericho is renowned as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with a history spanning thousands of years.
Source: The Palestinian Chronicle. 19 Sept 2023