MIFTAH, the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy strongly condemns the recent decision by the Israeli cabinet under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to include two West Bank holy shrines on its list of Israeli heritage sites. The Ibrahimi Mosque [in Hebron along with the Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque [Rachel’s Tomb] in Bethlehem are both highly significant religious and cultural spots for Palestinians and which are now being threatened with confiscation.

MIFTAH views this recent decision as an illegitimate Israeli attempt to distort and recreate a false history where Palestinian culture and heritage is erased. MIFTAH feels this move is extremely dangerous and constitutes a major step in Israel’s ongoing attempt to commit cultural genocide in Palestine through its obliteration of Palestinian culture and history.

MIFTAH thus calls on the international community to halt this Israeli threat to forge history and claim sole Jewish significance on sites located in Palestinian territory. It is the duty of the United Nations, UNESCO and all other relevant cultural bodies concerned with the preservation and integrity of cultural and religious sites to hold Israel accountable for its attempt at confiscating this culture and history from the Palestinians and preventing cultural genocide.