French PM: UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem 'unfortunate, clumsy'

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls describes a UNESCO resolution on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as “clumsy” and “unfortunate” and says it should have been avoided.

The Paris-based UN cultural body adopted the resolution in April, sparking outrage in Israel and among Jewish organizations who decried its total disregard of a Jewish connection to the holiest site in Judaism. The resolution refers to the Temple Mount area solely by the Muslim terms Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Haram Al Sharif, except for two references to the Western Wall Plaza that were put in parentheses.

“This UNESCO resolution contains unfortunate, clumsy wording that offends and unquestionably should have been avoided, as should the vote,” Valls tells parliament.

— JTA and AFP