“But the fact – and it is a fact – of our historic three and a half millennia-long connection to the land is now being treated as something that is subject to negotiations” is both galling and appalling.
Cooper continued, “This episode makes it clear that there really are two sets of rules. One set of rules for non-Jews, and another, ever-shifting, always-worsening set of rules for the Jews.”
Israel’s ambassador to international organizations, Nimrod Barkat, also dispatched a letter last week to UNESCO’s Bokova and the other dignitaries involved. He described the cancellation of the opening and the “postponement” of the entire exhibition as unjust and discriminatory towards Israel.
Barkat also reminded them all that UNESCO has “hosted numerous events and exhibitions accentuating the relations between the Muslim and Christian Religions with the Holy Land and of course holds its annual “Palestine Day.”
Rabbi Cooper was asked whether he had a comment about the revelation of a rescheduled date for the opening of the exhibit, “The 3,500 year Relationship Between the Jewish People and the Holy Land.”
“Only to confirm we met today in Paris and we await written confirmation from Director General Bokova,” he told The Jewish Press. Good idea, except it seems that for UNESCO, even when things are in writing, there is still no guarantee.
