RAMALLAH, July 4 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official on Tuesday welcomed UN support for a bid proposed by Palestine and Jordan on the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Palestinians and the Kingdom of Jordan presented a bid called "The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls" to the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that currently convenes in the Polish City of Krakow.
The bid was approved on the 41st session of the committee, with 10 UNESCO member states voting in favor, 3 opposed and 8 sustained.
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) minister of Tourism and Antiquities Rula Ma'ay'aa told Xinhua that UNESCO's decision reiterates "Palestine's legitimate right in East Jerusalem, the capital of the Palestinian state."
"UNESCO's decision is a clear message to the international community that it doesn't recognize the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem and its measures to Judaize the city," she said.
UNESCO has previously passed a total of 19 decisions regarding the issue of Jerusalem, all of which recognized the historic status in Jerusalem before it was occupied by Israel in 1967.
