PNA welcomes UNESCO approval of bid over Jerusalem

The Palestinian consensus government welcomed on Tuesday the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) official approval of a joint Arab-Palestinian bid over East Jerusalem.

Yousef al-Mahmoud, spokesman of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) government said in an official press statement that UNESCO's official decision "represents a condemnation to the Israeli occupation and its practices and policies that aim at changing the real and natural characteristics of Jerusalem."

On Thursday, the UNESCO adopted a joint Arab-Palestinian bid that denies any historic link or ties between the Jewish people and the holy places and sites in Jerusalem, mainly the Wailing Wall.

Earlier on Tuesday, the UNESCO made its final decision and the bid was officially approved. The decision said that al-Aqsa Mosque is purely Islamic heritage.

Mahmoud called on the international community "to seriously and actively move to end the Israeli occupation and contribute all its efforts to make peace and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as the capital."

The Palestinian government's spokesman expressed deep gratitude to the Arab and Islamic countries and other friend countries who voted in favor of the decision.

In response to UNESCO, the Israeli government decided to severe cooperation with the world body after the decision was approved. Endit