PA FM claims Palestinians have been on the land for 10,000 years and Israel is trying to expel them, and steal Palestinian antiquities
Headline: “In a speech before UNESCO –Al-Malki: ‘We want international protection for our people and its cultural and philosophical heritage, and we will persecute anyone who steals heritage [items] from Palestine.’”
“During a speech he gave yesterday [Nov. 6, 2015], Friday, at the 38th session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris, Foreign Minister of the State of Palestine Riyad Al-Malki demanded that the international community and the [UNESCO] member states fulfill their duty in face of the violation of the Palestinian people’s rights by Israel, the occupying power, and its violations against the [Palestinian people’s] property... He stated: ‘I have come to you at a time when my homeland and people are suffering from cruel aggression once again, which harms humans and stones, and does not skip children, elderly, and women; ongoing aggression by Israel, the occupying power, through which it aims to eliminate the presence of Palestinians in the land of their ancestors, where they have been planted for over 10,000 years.’
He called on the member states to fulfill their commitments and implement what was specified in the agreements of UNESCO, including a prohibition to import, export, or transfer ownership of cultural property from the occupied land of Palestine, which the occupation is illegally taking over, and returning it to its land of origin. He added: ‘We will act to bring to justice anyone proven to be involved in trafficking antiquities stolen from Palestine, including countries that agree to these stolen pieces of heritage being displayed in their museums, as happened in the past with the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were stolen in 1967 by the occupation authorities, from the Archaeological Museum of Palestine (i.e., the Rockefeller Archeological Museum in East Jerusalem). Likewise, he condemned any harming of archeological sites in the occupied State of Palestine, and everywhere in the world, including heritage sites in Syria and Iraq.”
“During a speech he gave yesterday [Nov. 6, 2015], Friday, at the 38th session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris, Foreign Minister of the State of Palestine Riyad Al-Malki demanded that the international community and the [UNESCO] member states fulfill their duty in face of the violation of the Palestinian people’s rights by Israel, the occupying power, and its violations against the [Palestinian people’s] property... He stated: ‘I have come to you at a time when my homeland and people are suffering from cruel aggression once again, which harms humans and stones, and does not skip children, elderly, and women; ongoing aggression by Israel, the occupying power, through which it aims to eliminate the presence of Palestinians in the land of their ancestors, where they have been planted for over 10,000 years.’
He called on the member states to fulfill their commitments and implement what was specified in the agreements of UNESCO, including a prohibition to import, export, or transfer ownership of cultural property from the occupied land of Palestine, which the occupation is illegally taking over, and returning it to its land of origin. He added: ‘We will act to bring to justice anyone proven to be involved in trafficking antiquities stolen from Palestine, including countries that agree to these stolen pieces of heritage being displayed in their museums, as happened in the past with the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were stolen in 1967 by the occupation authorities, from the Archaeological Museum of Palestine (i.e., the Rockefeller Archeological Museum in East Jerusalem). Likewise, he condemned any harming of archeological sites in the occupied State of Palestine, and everywhere in the world, including heritage sites in Syria and Iraq.”