17.01.2014 – ODG

Information regarding the planned exhibition, “People, Book, Land – The 3,500 Year Relationship of the Jewish People to the Holy Land”

In response to requests for information regarding the postponement of the exhibition, “People, Book, Land – The 3,500 Year Relationship of the Jewish People to the Holy Land,” Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO wishes to express the following:

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO has worked with the Simon Wiesenthal Center in planning this exhibition. A number of elements relating to it still remain to be agreed upon. This includes unresolved issues relating to potentially contestable textual and visual historical points, which might be perceived by Member States as endangering the peace process.

Moreover, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO Secretariat received a letter from 22 Member States, of the Arab Group, expressing their concern that the planned exhibition could impact negatively on the peace process and current negotiations underway in the Middle East.

In this context, regrettably, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO had to postpone the inauguration of the exhibition.

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO Secretariat is obliged by the Organization’s rules and regulations to consider fully the concerns raised by its Member States or any Regional Group regarding planned exhibitions or manifestations.

Fully in line with the efforts of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ system as a whole, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO is deeply committed to the successful outcome of the peace process in order to achieve stability and peace in the region.

Within Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO itself, this commitment has taken the shape of relentless efforts to achieve consensus between Member States on all issues falling within Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO’s educational, scientific, and cultural mandate.

Consensus on Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO decisions and resolutions regarding the Middle East has been especially important, to avoid confrontation and politicization. The last session of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO General Conference in November showed it is possible to adopt resolutions on the Middle East by consensus, despite challenges.

The drive for consensus underpins all of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO’s work — including, for instance, the successful International Symposium held under Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO patronage on 12-13 November, 2012, on the “Permanence of Yiddish,” an initiative of B’nai B’rith Representation, also an official partner of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO in associate status, and with the participation of the Paris Yiddish Center – Medem Library.

This spirit also guides Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO’s action across the world today to promote education for human rights and peace, including , where Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO plays a unique and leading role in the United Nations system. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO is working every day to advance respect for human rights and dignity and to fight against all forms of discrimination, racism and anti-Semitism.

It is the foundation also for the upcoming commemoration of , on 27 January, when Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO is partnering with a wide range of partners, including the Memorial de la Shoah, the USC Shoah Foundation, founded by Steven Spielberg, and the Georg Eckert Institute.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO remains strongly committed to addressing the remaining outstanding issues with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a longstanding official partner of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO, in an associate status. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO remains equally committed and actively engaged to working with Member States and partners to hold the exhibition in conditions that promote cooperation and dialogue.