Hebron Mayor Khaled Osaily expressed deep surprise and regret regarding Canada’s vote against Palestine’s UNESCO membership bid despite the good ties between the Palestinian leadership and the Canadian Government. Osaily was speaking at a meeting held at Hebron Municipality with Mr. Chris Greenshields, Canada’s Representative to the Palestinian Authority. The meeting aimed at discussing means of cooperation, enhancing commercial ties with Canada as well as presenting general conditions in Hebron and describing progress in the implementation of a number of projects supported by the Canadian Government in Hebron Governorate.

At the beginning of the meeting, Osaily spoke about political and economic conditions as well as violations committed in Hebron and its Old City. He touched on the city’s history, its religious and archeological sites and its right to safeguard its own cultural heritage which should be considered as world heritage just like many other Palestinian cities and sites that deserve to be acknowledged by UNESCO.

Osaily explained the great positive impact that Palestine’s membership of Unesco will have on Palestinian heritage. “Palestine deserves this recognition. It shall pave the way for Palestine’s full membership of the UN and crowns President Abbas’s political efforts based on his belief in peace and the need to end occupation. Even though negotiations started more than 18 years ago, Palestine is still not an independent State because we do not have a genuine Israeli partner who believes in peace. It is not logical to negotiate just for the sake of negotiating”.

Mr. Greenshields explained why his country voted against Palestine’s Unesco bid. “Canada believes that a Palestinian State can only be created through negotiations and that the conflict can only end through an agreement between the Palestinians and Israelis. We believe that resorting to the UN and its agencies further complicates matters and makes it harder to reach an agreement between both parties. The Canadian Government is committed to supporting economic projects in Palestine, including support to the Palestinian Industries Fair held last month in Ramallah, the Palestinian Ministry of Justice and the construction of a Court building in Hebron”.

At the end of the meeting, Osaily underlined the Palestinian right to end occupation and the importance of taking decisions and stances that support those rights endorsed by the international community and enshrined in UN conventions and declarations.