UNESCO, headed by Irina Bokova, issued a statement to deny the rumors spreading lately about the organization's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. UNESCO said in a statement, "We emphasize again there is no change in our position towards Jerusalem city; it is considered a threatened heritage-listed city." UNESCO guarantees to respect the extraordinary international value of the cultural heritage of ancient Jerusalem. According to the UN, UNESCO said Jerusalem is still a part of occupied Palestine. Its final condition must be discussed among the final solution negotiations. It should be noted UNESCO's statement was a response for critics made by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement. The statement was made against the organization after it allegedly said UNESCO listed the city of Jerusalem as a capital of Israel state. The grand Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh Ali Gomaa, criticized UNESCO's position and considered it as a violation of the Palestinian's rights and a clear bias in favor of Israel.
