Khaled Osaily. خالد العسيلي رئيس بلدية الخيل السابق خالد العسيلي
Hebron Mayor KhaledOsaily and Louise Hexthausen, Head of UNESCO Office in Ramallah agreed on 20 December to create a joint working Unit in Hebron to improve cultural and social contexts in the Old City and to help safeguard its cultural heritage. The agreement was witnessed by Dr. HamdanTaha, Deputy-undersecretary for Archaeology at the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Mr. Giovanni Fontana, UNESCO cultural specialist.
Thr meeting, which took place at Hebron Municipality, aimed at examining conditions in Hebron, and mainly in its Old City, assessing progress in the potential inscription of the Old City on the World Heritage List, and UNESCO’s role in providing support to this project.
Taking the floor, Osaily thanked UNESCO for its role in countering attempts to alter the identity of Al Ibrahimi Mosque through Resolutions adopted by the Organization in which it rejected decisions taken by the Israeli government to inscribe the Mosque on the Jewish Heritage List.
Osaily then spoke about conditions in Hebron and its division into two parts by Israeli occupation forces. He also touched on aggressions by settlers against Palestinians, the history of and developments concerning homes occupied by settlers and how settlements grew in the heart of the city turning it into a big prison with electronic gates, closures and endless security measures under the pretext of protecting the safety and security of settlers. Osaily also spoke about AlIbrahimi Mosque Massacre which was followed by Israeli measures and closures in the Southern parts of the city. These measures, he said, have a negative impact on cultural and social life in the city, threatening historical and cultural values.
Osaily underlined the importance for international organizations to play their role and shoulder their responsibilities to safeguard and protect cultural and humanitarian heritage in the city and prevent its alteration given its value for the entire humanity.
Ms. Hexthausen said she and her teams were ready to support efforts aimed at safeguarding Hebron’s cultural heritage and help ensure the success of the Old City’s inscription on the WHL. She also touched on future joint mechanisms with Hebron Municipality, including the activation of the agreed-upon Unit. The work of this Unit must be in line with the Municipality’s expectations and must support its efforts to enhance the cultural context in the city, she added.
Mr. Taha said that the Ministry of Tourism gives great attention to Hebron’s Old City. He spoke about the qualitative leap witnessed by the Municipality thanks to efforts in the field of culture aimed at building the basis for a better cultural future in the city. The inscription of Hebron on the WHL is a bold cultural battle that shall be fought with the occupation given the importance of the Old City, he added.
