UN Approves Resolution 'Completely Ignores Any Link Between Jewish People And Temple Mount'

UN speaks of Temple Mount as solely Muslim site, ignores Jewish ties

TOVAH LAZAROFF

Some 139 United Nations countries approved a resolution on Thursday that spoke of the Temple Mount solely as an Islamic holy site, by referencing it only by its Muslim name of al-Haram al-Sharif. 

It was one of seven pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel resolutions that the UN General Assembly's Fourth Committee in New York passed on Wednesday.

The resolution that spoke of Jerusalem included language that referenced the link of all three monotheistic religions to Jerusalem. The resolution, in its language, spoke of Jerusalem as “occupied” only in reference to east Jerusalem.  

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan told the committee that the resolution “completely ignores any link between the Jewish people and the Temple Mount – our holiest site. This is a disgrace. The audacious attempt to rewrite history will not change the indisputable fact that the Jewish connection to the city of Jerusalem dates back thousands of years.

“They will also not change the fact that today, our connection to Jerusalem is stronger than ever. A growing number of countries are moving their embassies to Jerusalem, our united and undivided capital,” Erdan said. 

This UN action takes place as the Trump administration has increased its efforts to underscore Israel's link to Jerusalem, which is the capital of the modern state and where the Jewish Temple, the most holy of Jewish sites, had stood in Biblical times.  

“Unlike this chamber, which is detached from reality, a growing number of nations are acknowledging that Jerusalem is the undeniable capital of the Jewish people and the Jewish state. As Minister of Public Security, I ensured that all religions had access to Jerusalem’s holy sites," the ambassador said.  

"No resolution passed here will change the eternal connection between the Jewish people and the holiest site of our faith – Har HaBayit, the Temple Mount,” said Erdan, as he used the Hebrew words for the site.

“For years, the Palestinians have promoted language that includes only the Muslim term of “Haram al-Sharif” and purposely excludes the Jewish name - Temple Mount,” he said. 

Erdan told UN member states that their “support has emboldened the Palestinians to not only deny the Jewish connection to these sites, but to deny Muslims access to them, too, while threatening violence. By supporting these resolutions you share responsibility for this behavior.”