Palestinian Authority welcomes UNESCO resolution on keeping al Aqsa naming

The Palestinian Authority (PA) welcomed Tuesday a resolution by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that abolished reference to al Aqsa mosque as the alleged "Temple Mount", maintaining its original Arabic name.

The pro-Arab vote with a majority of 33 nations reflects the world's consensus on the misleading Israeli campaign that targets Arab heritage and the holy sites of Christians and Muslims in the occupied city, PA spokesman Youssef al Mahmoud said.

The occupation's attempts throughout the past decades to obliterate the deeply-rooted history and heritage of the centuries-old city have gone in vain, the spokesman stressed.

Meanwhile, Mahmoud called for an immediate action by the UNESCO to stop Israel's grave violations against al Quds and its residents.

It also urged other international organizations to take similar actions in face of the daily violations that targets holy sites.

In this regard, the spokesman raised alarm over recent calls by extremist Jewish groups to storm al Aqsa mosque, ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover. 

Earlier this week, a UNESCO resolution - adopted by a vote of 33 in favor, six against, and 17 abstaining - abolished the alleged name "Temple Mount" only calling the Islam's third holy site by its Arabic name, al Aqsa Mosque or al Haram Al Sharif. 

Source ; MENA