Israel cancels UNESCO visit to Jerusalem

A month ago, Israel agreed to a  UNESCO visit to examine the state of conservation of the walled Old City of Jerusalem, a world heritage site, provided it was not political and anti-Israel motions avoided when the team submitted its findings at the organization’s next session in Cambodia. Israel withdrew permission for the visit when Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki's called the UNESCO tour a "probe (of) the occupation measures" in the city. This attempt to politicize a conservation tour violated all the understandings reached, said an Israeli official.