The effort by the Palestinian Authority is drawing resistance; World Heritage Committee meeting starts on Sunday.
By The Associated Press | Jun.23, 2012
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is becoming the
church of contention, with a bid by the Palestinians to use their
position as the newest members of the UN's cultural arm to obtain World
Heritage status for the iconic Christian site - and perhaps boost their
own campaign for legitimacy.
The effort by the Palestinian Authority, like its overall efforts for
global recognition for an independent Palestinian state, is drawing
resistance. And it may fail at the World Heritage Committee meeting that
starts Sunday.
An experts committee has turned down the emergency bid to quickly
confer on the Church of the Nativity, and its pilgrimage route, the
status as an endangered World Heritage site, saying the application
needs more work. Even custodians of the holy site, the Greek Orthodox,
Roman Catholic and Armenian churches are opposed, according to a
document obtained by The Associated Press.
The church - which drew some 2 million visitors last year and parts of
which are 1,500 years old - stands above the grotto that Christians
believe was the birthplace of Jesus. The Palestinians' application asks
for recognition as a site of "outstanding universal value" urgently in
need of attention.
There is concern by the United States and others that the Bethlehem
holy site and the integrity of the World Heritage process risk falling
victim to the politics that for decades have torn the region asunder,
with the Palestinians using their foothold in the UN system to grab
symbolic recognition of their elusive bid for statehood in a
long-disputed land.
The World Heritage candidacy of the Church of the Nativity and the
pilgrimage route is one way for the Palestinians to prove they are
responsible stewards of the site which draws tourists the world over.
Above all, it is part of a broader attempt by Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas to seek international recognition for a state of Palestine
after its controversial backdoor entry into the UN system.
Negotiations with Israel on the terms of a Palestinian state have been
frozen in recent years, mainly because Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, have failed to reach enough common ground for
meaningful talks.
Meantime, Abbas has tried to create new leverage, including with a
quest for UN membership for a state of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza
and East Jerusalem, the territories Israel took control of in the 1967
Six-Day War. The UN bid has been stalled for months, but Abbas hopes to
garner recognition for Palestine wherever possible, including with a nod
from UNESCO for Bethlehem.
Angry at Palestinian membership in UNESCO, the United States pulled its
$80 million in annual dues - 22 percent of the overall budget - from
the Paris-based organization after the October vote that made the
Palestinians the 195th member.
Bucking the bad feedback, the Palestinians refused to follow UNESCO custom and withdraw the candidacy - as the French did with their emergency bid for the Chauvet cave, with its hundreds of prehistoric drawings, when it got a negative recommendation from the experts.
The Palestinians now risk losing face at the World Heritage Committee
meeting from Sunday until July 6 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, when 33
sites from around the world will be considered for the coveted World
Heritage status.
A surprise thumbs up could feed rancor and rivalries in a volatile
region, within the church itself and perhaps at the UN Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Already, the Palestinian ambassador to UNESCO, Elias Sanbar, has
denounced a "persistent campaign of rumors" at the organization.
Protecting the cultures of the world is among UNESCO's core missions
and there is little doubt the Church of the Nativity - with a
longstanding problem of leaks from the roof - is in need of repair. A
program administered by the Palestinians is already in progress.
Located in the West Bank, it is managed by three churches, each jealous
of its role as custodian of the site, defined under an agreement dating
back to the Ottoman Empire.
With a big measure of diplomacy, the leaders of the Greek Orthodox,
Catholic and Armenian churches rebuffed the Palestinian proposal,
politely reserving judgment on its reasons.
"In our opinion, we do not think it opportune to deal with this request
that the Basilica and its entire complex be included in the list of
World Heritage sites, due to different considerations," read a letter to
Abbas signed by the three leaders. A copy of the letter was obtained by
The Associated Press.
Among other things, a World Heritage designation raises fears that the
delicate arrangement of custodianship might be disturbed. Fights among
priests using broomsticks have been known to break out in the past over a
perception that boundaries are being overstepped.
"When it comes to the Church of the Nativity, no one can interfere,"
said Yousef Daher of the World Council of Churches in Jerusalem. "They
(the Palestinian Authority) figured it wrong." He called the Palestinian
bid a "surprising request."
"A church is a church, it shouldn't become a world heritage. It's a sacred place and its ownership is not for anyone," Daher said.
The Palestinian emergency application cites lack of regular restoration
on the church due to the political situation since 1967 when Israel
took control of the territories and difficulties procuring equipment
because of lack of free movement imposed by Israeli forces.
Israel turned much of Bethlehem over to the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s.
The U.S. State Department did not hide its disapproval of the Palestinians' emergency bid.
"We are disappointed by the Palestinians' intention to push through an
emergency inscription against the recommendation of UNESCO's own experts
and without thoroughly consulting all stakeholders," a statement said.
It made clear that Washington's objection stems from the rush job that
an emergency candidacy implies and which prevents a full review
including by those with a stake in the outcome.
"We hope the Committee will act responsibly as good stewards of the
World Heritage Convention, rather than allowing yet another UN forum to
become a victim of politicization," the U.S.¬ statement said. "The site
is sacred to all Christians."
An experts report, conducted for UNESCO by the Rome-based International
Council on Monuments and Sites, which reviews all applications,
concluded that the Palestinians failed to show that damage or dangers to
the Church of the Nativity "make its condition an emergency that needs
to be addressed - for immediate action necessary for the survival of the
property."
It suggests the application be resubmitted under normal procedures with
fuller detail. That takes about 18 months, meaning it could be
re-nominated in 2014.
"Palestinians are continuing with their bid, and they are still hopeful and optimistic that they will succeed," said Palestinian government spokesman Ghassan Khatib. He declined to elaborate.
The Palestinian delegation to UNESCO refused any comment until after
the Saint Petersburg meeting. However, a letter circulating among
delegations suggested a plot was afoot.
In a letter, Ambassador Sanbar denounced a campaign of pressure against
the bid from "those who do not want to see Palestine exercise its
legitimate rights."
The June 11 letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated
Press, included what is purported to be a statement of support for
Palestinian leader Abbas signed in type by the Roman Catholic and Greek
Orthodox leaders, noting the Armenian was absent.
That letter "gave some delegations the impression that the churches had
changed their opinion and were no longer opposed to the inscription,"
said one UNESCO official. "Was it designed for that purpose? I don't
know."
The official asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity surrounding the Palestinian bid.
