Hungary voted against a resolution calling the Temple Mount a holy site exclusively for Muslims and ignoring the place’s importance in Judaism.
The United States, which opposed the text, said it was a “real and serious concern” that the text relating to a place considered sacred to the three religions “lacks comprehensive language”. Writes Jerusalem Post.
On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution 129-11 denying the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount and calling it the Haram al-Sharif by its Islamic name only.
The text, referred to as the “Jerusalem Resolution,” is part of the efforts of the Palestinian Authority and Arab states to rename the holiest site of Judaism as an Islamic site within the United Nations institutional system.
The ancient synagogue was located in the Old City in the heart of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, and is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.
“It is morally, historically and politically wrong for members of this body to support language that denies Jewish and Christian ties to the Temple Mount and the Haram al-Sharif.”
The US envoy informed the UN General Assembly.
In an effort to secure support for the resolution, the authors have made minor changes since the United Nations General Assembly approved the resolution in 2018 at a rate of 148-11. This text referred twice to the Haram al-Sharif, once in the working part of the resolution and once in the introduction.
This time, the term Haram al-Sharif appears only once in the foreground. However, support for the decision declined, with the number of abstentions rising from 14 to 31.
Three years ago, all European countries supported the text, but this year many countries changed their vote.
Hungary and the Czech Republic opposed the resolution, while Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia abstained.
“The European Union reiterates that when referring to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif in the Jerusalem Resolution, the two terms, the Temple Mount and the Haram al-Sharif, must be used,” the EU spokesperson said.
“The European Union urges all parties not to deny the historical connection of other religions to the city of Jerusalem and its holy places, and thus not to delegitimize their history,” the EU envoy said.
Despite his words, a large number of EU member states approved the text, including Belgium, France, Spain and Italy.
The Ambassador of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyadh, thanked those who support the Jerusalem text, noting that it is an “appropriate and necessary decision that will give hope and support to our people.”
“We will never accept that we continue to live under the apartheid regime during the occupation, we deserve freedom and dignity in our country,” Mansour said.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, accused the Palestinians of trying to erase Jewish history.
The hypocrisy of these decisions is truly outrageous. A resolution regarding Jerusalem that does not refer to ancient Jewish roots is not an ignorant mistake, but an attempt to distort and rewrite history! Erdan said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly before the vote.
He described Jerusalem as central to Jewish religious holidays:
Erdan was quoted as saying: “At every Jewish wedding ceremony, the newlyweds stand under the wedding canopy and vow never to forget their deep connection to Jerusalem:” If I forget you, O Jerusalem, my right hand forgets me.”
The vote took place on the fourth day of Hanukkah, when Jews around the world celebrated the victory of Israelite warriors, the Maccabees over the Greeks, and the restoration of the ancient synagogue in 200 B.C.
The resolution was one of three texts on Israel approved by the United Nations General Assembly.
The General Assembly voted 148 to 9, with 14 abstentions, on the resolution to settle the Palestinian issue peacefully, demanding Israel to withdraw on the pre-1967 lines, and the international community’s refusal to “help” settlement activity. He also called for an international peace conference to be held in Moscow. The countries that opposed the text are Australia, Canada, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The third resolution, passed by 94-8 with 69 abstentions, called on Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights. Among the opponents of the text are Australia, Canada, Hungary, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and the United States.
