UN votes to bar Jews from their holiest spot

UPDATE: The resolution passed.

The current UNHRC Special Session is not only about the Goldstone report, but also a wide-ranging condemnation of Israel (alone) that intends to, ironically, bar Jews from the Temple Mount.

Here is part of the draft resolution being considered in this session (A/HRC/S-12/L.1):

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,

Affirming the responsibility of the international community to promote human rights and ensure respect for international law,

Emphasizing the particularity of The Occupied East Jerusalem in its rich religious and cultural heritage,

Recalling all relevant United Nations resolutions including Security Council resolutions on Occupied East Jerusalem,

Deeply concerned at the Israeli actions undermining the sanctity and inviolability of religious sites in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem,

Deeply concerned also at the Israeli policy of closure and severe restrictions, including the permit regime, that continue to be imposed on the movement of Palestinians hindering their free access to their Christian and Muslim holy sites, including Al Aqsa Mosque,

1. Strongly condemns all policies and measures taken by Israel, the occupying power, including those limiting access of Palestinians to their properties and holy sites particularly in Occupied East Jerusalem, on the basis of national origin, religion, sex, age or any other discriminatory ground, which are in grave violation of the Palestinian People's civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights;

2. Condemns further the recent Israeli violations of human rights in Occupied East Jerusalem, particularly the confiscation of lands and properties, the demolishing of houses and private properties, the construction and expansion of settlements, the continuous construction of the separation Wall, changing the demographic and geographic character of East Jerusalem, the restrictions on the freedom of movement of the Palestinian citizens of East Jerusalem, as well as the continuous digging and excavation works in and around Al-Aqsa mosque and its vicinity;

3. Demands Israel, the occupying power, to respect the religious and cultural rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as provided for in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the core International Human Rights instruments, the Hague Conventions, and the Geneva Conventions, and to allow Palestinian citizens and worshippers unhindered access to their properties and religious sites therein;

4. Demands also Israel, the occupying power to immediately cease all digging and excavation works and activities beneath and around Al Aqsa Mosque and its vicinity, and refrain from any acts or operations that may endanger the structure or foundations or change the nature of holy sites both Christian and Islamic in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem;

5. Requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights, pursuant to resolution S-9/L.1 and in the context of her periodic reports, to monitor, document and report on the state of implementation by Israel, the occupying power, of its Human Rights obligations in and around East Jerusalem.

Unlike the sponsors of this resolution, Israel is the only party that is trying to allow equal access to religious places. The rights of Jews to visit their holy spots would be eliminated should this resolution pass (the goal of paragraph 4.)

Not only that, the resolution itself includes outright lies:

Israel does not dig "in" or "beneath" the Temple Mount (although the Islamic Waqf does, destroying priceless archaeological treasures.)

There has never been a place called "East Jerusalem" as distinct from Jerusalem itself. The only people who ever divided Jerusalem were Arabs in 1948.

The implication that Jews have no right to any part of the Old City and no historical ties to Jerusalem.

The implication that archaeological digging and normal construction anywhere in the Old City is endangering the Al Aqsa mosque. (The Arab press always refers to the incredibly important City of David excavations as being "tens of meters" from Al Aqsa for this reason. Also, this is a veiled way to stop Jews from ever building new synagogues in the Old City.)

Urge world leaders to vote "no" to this sickening and, frankly, anti-semitic resolution by clicking here and personalizing the text to emphasize these lies.

UPDATE 2 : Goldstone says he is "saddened" that Hamas violations of human rights law wasn't mentioned by the UNHRC. Extraordinary naivete or trying to save face? 90% of his report slams Israel, what did he expect?