JERUSALEM, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Israel said it will stop cooperating with UNESCO after it designated Rachel's Tomb, a Jewish holy site outside of Bethlehem as a Muslim mosque, officials said.
Danny Ayalon, deputy minister of foreign affairs accused the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization of siding with the Palestinian Authority in an effort to de-legitimize Israel, Ynetnews.com said Thursday.
"We should see the organization's call to remove the Cave of Patriarchs (in Hebron) and Rachel's Tomb (in Bethlehem) from the list of Israel's national sites as a part of Palestinian escalation in international organizations," he told the Knesset Wednesday.
"Israel rejects all five of UNESCO's decisions and has no intention of cooperating with the organization," Ayalon said. "This is another attempt at de-legitimization by the Palestinian Authority. Decisions like this take us farther away from peace and understanding between our two nations," the Web site quoted him saying.
UPI
