3rd December 2021
The Zionist Federation of UK and Ireland notes the refusal of the UK to vote on a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday of this week, on Jerusalem. The resolution on Jerusalem refers to the Temple Mount solely by its Islamic name, “Haram al-Sharif”, effectively erasing any Jewish and Christian connection to a site which is holy to all of the three Abrahamic faiths and the holiest site in Judaism. In this regard, the United States explained that a more inclusive nomenclature of “Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount” would provide greater insight to these shared historical roots.
In a week when our Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke up about how the UK-Israel relationship is growing “stronger and stronger” and both countries signed a memorandum of understanding on the UK-Israel strategic partnership, it is disappointing that the UK did not join Australia, Canada, the United States and other countries in decisively voting against the resolution. By not doing so, we fear the UK’s abstention will be seen by Israel’s detractors as a pass to continue to rewrite history in order to erase the Jewish connection to Jerusalem and Israel.
Acting Zionist Federation Chair Richard P Woolf said, “Following the Zionist Federation’s lobby of Parliament earlier this year on the very issue of the UK’s voting record on Israel at the UN, whilst the UK’s abstention is undoubtedly a change in the right direction, we call upon our government to actively and decisively stand against all such diplomatic attempts to erase the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, attempts which do nothing to further the prospect of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.” He went on to express appreciation, however, for this Government’s firm vote against the resolution for a unilateral withdrawal from what the UN described as “Syrian Golan”.
ENDS
To read more background, please click here to read this comprehensive explanation by UN Watch.
