UNESCO Hebron motion important to all faiths
UNESCO's decision to classify the old city of Hebron as a world heritage site, despite Israeli protests, should be seen as a confirmation that the city's heritage is much bigger than disputes between Palestinians and Jews.
![ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/HEBRON An Israeli soldier walks past Ibrahimi Mosque, which Jews call the Jewish Tomb of the Patriarchs, in the West Bank city of Hebron July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RTX3AJ9Z](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2017/07/RTX3AJ9Z.jpg/RTX3AJ9Z.jpg?h=9afde166&itok=Yr2rMQTw)
UNESCO's July 7 decision to name the old city of Hebron a World Heritage site in danger has been reassuring to many faithful believers around the world. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Riyad Malki welcomed the vote while Israeli officials angrily attacked it and even mocked the decision by the UN agency.
The UNESCO decision used the English word Hebron and the Arabic word for the city, Al-Khalil. Al-Khalil means companion, a reference to the biblical words that called Abraham God’s companion. Safeguarding such a holy place should be a goal of members of all faiths. Palestinians argue that attempts at monopolizing such sites to one faith or using religion as an instrument of political power is not a helpful move.