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UNESCO Declares Hebron's Core as Palestinian World Heritage Site
(New York Times) Isabel Kershner - UNESCO, the UN cultural organization, declared the ancient core of Hebron in the West Bank as a Palestinian World Heritage site in danger on Friday, despite a concerted diplomatic effort by Israel and the U.S. to scuttle the decision. The area designated as a heritage site includes the Cave of the Patriarchs, an ancient shrine revered by Jews, Muslims and Christians as the burial place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs. According to the Bible, Abraham purchased the cave as a burial plot for his wife, Sarah. Prime Minister Netanyahu's office said Israel would further reduce the membership fees it pays to the UN by $1 million a year and would use the funds to establish a Jewish People's heritage museum in Hebron. The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs said the UNESCO designation ran contrary to the Palestinian commitments in the Oslo peace accords of the 1990s for the joint governance of Hebron and shared worship in the Cave of the Patriarchs.