UNESCO, whose mandate is to protect the world’s cultural and historic sites, just caved to anti-Jewish fanaticism. In a recent vote, its Executive Board ignored historic Jewish links to Judaism’s holiest site, the Temple Mount, and has recast the Western Wall (Kotel), as the Islamic Al-Buraq Plaza.

The vote is, not only a lie, but left in place, it will further incite future attacks against Jewish worshippers at the Kotel and at sites central to Jewish history, faith and values.

Even a publication (pictured - click to enlarge) from the Supreme Muslim Council, which was published annually from 1924 to 1953, and was the official tour guide for visitors to Jerusalem, refers to the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount, as “The site is one of the oldest in the world. Its sanctity dates from the earliest (perhaps from pre-historic) times. Its identity with the site of Solomon’s Temple is beyond dispute.”

Therefore, if this vote represents the future course of UNESCO, then US Congress should withhold any future funding of the UN’s caretaker of civilization’s historic sites.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a long-standing NGO at UNESCO, overcame objections from the Arab League over the Center’s exhibition, People, Book, Land: The 3,500 Year Relationship of the Jewish People with the Holy Land, which was co-sponsored by UNESCO, and has been exhibited at UN Headquarters, on Capitol Hill, at the Vatican and in Israel’s Knesset.