WEST BANK: Palestinian Authority presents formal submission to UNESCO calling for the Church of the Nativity to be listed as a World Heritage Site

Record ID: 561670

  • Title: WEST BANK: Palestinian Authority presents formal submission to UNESCO calling for the Church of the Nativity to be listed as a World Heritage Site
  • Date: 8th February 2011
  • Summary: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (FEBRUARY 7, 2011) (REUTERS) BETHLEHEM CITY AS SEEN FROM THE NORTH VARIOUS OF ISRAEL'S SEPARATION BARRIER SURROUNDING CITY BARRIER NEAR CHRISTIAN MONASTERY VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF BETHLEHEM'S CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY, BELIEVED TO BE THE BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS TOURISTS AT MANGER SQUARE IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH VARIOUS OF TOURISTS BENDING TO ENTER CHURCH THROUGH LOW DOORWAY PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY MINISTER OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES, KHOULOUD DAIBES, AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY MINISTER OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES, KHOULOUD DAIBES, SAYING: "We consider this; to protect the Palestinian heritage is a part of our plan to end the (Israeli) occupation and establish a state. And it is a heritage site and a treasure which we should protect." PEOPLE CLAPPING MORE OF NEWS CONFERENCE TOURISTS INSIDE CHURCH OF NATIVITY'S ORTHODOX CHAPEL VARIOUS OF CROSSES INSIDE CHURCH TOURISTS AT CHURCH'S CHAPEL VARIOUS OF TOURISTS STANDING IN CHURCH'S "GROTTO", CAVE IN WHICH EXACT BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS IS BELIEVED TO BE LOCATED TOURIST STANDING NEAR THE SILVER STAR, MARKING THE SPOT BELIEVED TO BE JESUS BIRTHPLACE SILVER STAR LOCATOR PILGRIM TOUCHING SILVER STAR VARIOUS OF REPORTER SPEAKING TO UNESCO REPRESENTATIVE IN THE WEST BANK, LOUSA HAXTHAUSEN, (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNESCO REPRESENTATIVE IN THE WEST BANK, LOUSA HAXTHAUSEN, SAYING: "Palestine is not a state party to the World Heritage Convention, because it is not a member state of the UN. I would say what began to change things was in 2002, when there were the military oppressions here in the West Bank, and there was a lot of international attention to the fact that this is heritage of outstanding universal value, and that wasn't recognised by the World Heritage Committee which is actually the body which is in charge of the World Heritage Convention. And that led to a lot of technical assistance being provided to the Palestinian Authorities. And what we are seeing today, the finalization of the nomination file and the fact that it has been submitted to the World Heritage Committee is a very important achievement in that regard." VARIOUS OF ROMAN MOSAIC FOUND AT NATIVITY CHURCH PILGRIMS AT NATIVITY CHURCH HEBRON, WEST BANK (FEBRUARY 7, 2011) (REUTERS) THE WEST BANK CITY OF HEBRON, AS SEEN FROM A DISTANCE HEBRON'S OLD CITY AREA IBRAHIMI MOSQUE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE TOMB OF PATRIARCHATES, IN HEBRON'S OLD CITY MOSQUE'S MINARET MORE OF IBRAHIMI MOSQUE
  • Embargoed: 23rd February 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank, West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: International Relations,History
  • Reuters ID: LVA91THOX39JV4X2F3ZGDR2KVWOI
  • Story Text: Unlike the Sydney Opera House or the Statue of Liberty, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, one of the holiest places in Christendom, is not on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites.
    It lies inside the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Palestinians, with no state of their own, do not enjoy the full U.N. membership to secure United Nations recognition.
    On Monday (February 7) the Palestinian Tourism Ministry announced plans to rectify what the U.N. cultural agency agrees is a glaring anomaly that has placed the church -- built 1,700 years ago over the grotto where Christ is believed to have been born -- in international limbo.
    Palestinian Authority Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khouloud Daibes said the step was a message of determination.
    "We consider this; to protect the Palestinian heritage is a part of our plan to end the (Israeli) occupation and establish a state. And it is a heritage site and a treasure which we should protect," she said, presenting a formal submission to the UNESCO heritage committee.
    The bid was discussed at UNESCO headquarters in Paris last a week by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who since 2009 has driven a campaign to establish all the attributes and institutions of Palestinian statehood by September this year.
    The number of U.N. members states that now recognise Palestine has risen to 110 over recent months, more than half the total U.N. membership of 192.
    Talks with Israel to end the Middle East conflict and create a Palestinian state by mutual treaty have been suspended for five months, and Palestinian leaders say they are considering a statehood initiative at the U.N. General Assembly in September.
    An estimated two million pilgrims and tourists are expected to visit the Church of the Nativity this year, bending low to enter by the Door of Humility to the basilica, whose rafters were donated by the 15th century English king, Edward IV.
    For Christian pilgrims it is as holy as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem, a few kilometres to the north, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.
    Palestine is not a party to UNESCO's Heritage Convention. But a major Israeli military operation in 2002, when tanks deployed near Manger Square, drew the attention of the world to the fact that the site deserves protection, UNESCO representative in West bank said.
    Dozens of Palestinian gunmen sought by Israel during the uprising barricaded themselves inside the church for 39 days of a violent standoff that was denounced by the pope and Orthodox bishops.
    UNESCO representative in the West Bank Lousa Haxthausen said Palestine is not a state party to the World Heritage Convention because it is not a member state of the UN.
    "I would say what began to change things was in 2002, when there were the military oppressions here in the West Bank, and there was a lot of international attention to the fact that this is heritage of outstanding universal value, and that wasn't recognised by the World Heritage Committee. That led to a lot of technical assistance being provided to the Palestinian Authorities. And what we are seeing today, the finalization of the nomination file and the fact that it has been submitted to the World Heritage Committee is a very important achievement in that regard," she added.
    UNESCO's aim is simply to identify, recognise and protect the natural and cultural heritage of mankind for future generations. It will decided on the Palestinian proposal by the summer of next year.
    According to the Palestinian Tourism Ministry, the next campaign planned is endorsing the Old City of Hebron for the estimated UNESCO status. In Hebron, around 800 Jewish settlers live among 30,000 Palestinians in the parts of the ancient city that are under Israeli control. Driven by ideology, they claim a biblical right to Hebron, where tension between Israelis and Palestinians often spills into violence.
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