Lebanese delegation at UNESCO succeeds in including city of "Al Khalil" on World Heritage List

NNA - Undertaken efforts by the Lebanese and other Arab delegations at the 41st round of UNESCO meetings held in Poland have led to a national accomplishment by including the city of al-Khalil (Hebron) on the World Heritage List, despite Israeli attempts to thwart the vote. The Lebanese delegation was comprised of Ambassador of Lebanon to UNESCO, Khalil Karam; Head of Beirut Order of Engineers, Jack Tabet, and General Director of the Directorate General of Antiquities, Sarkis el-Khoury. Tabet succeeded in issuing a statement that was approved by the majority of voting members to place the ancient city of al-Quds and its walls under the international spotlight, in a bid to put an end to the abuses committed by the occupation forces to change the city's identity. Earlier, UNESCO voted twelve to three - with six abstentions - to give heritage status to Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.