The Italian newspaper Il Foglio issued an unprecedented protest on Wednesday in response to UNESCO’s adoption of a controversial resolution earlier this week which Israel says denies the deep historic Jewish connection to holy sites in Jerusalem.
In response to the adoption by the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization the newspaper’s entire centerfold displayed an Israeli flag accompanied by the title: “To erase the history of Israel is not education, it is not science or culture. It is simply a cultural holocaust.” Moreover, a similar display of rejection was on the front page.
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'To erase the history of Israel is not education, it is not science or culture. It is simply a cultural holocaust.'
The newspaper, known for its pro-Israel stance, launched another campaign repudiating the recent decision by staging a protest outside UNESCO’s offices in Rome. Hundreds of people, including politicians, attended the rally waving the Israeli flag and carrying placards bearing images of the Western Wall.
Fabrizio Cicchitto, president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, participated in the rally and voiced his dismay at the UN organization’s decision.
“The document that was adopted by the organization is unacceptable,” Ciccitto said before expressing his surprise in light of the Italian decision to abstain from the vote rather than vote against it.
The newspaper’s editor, Claudio Cerasa, explained the intended purpose of the display of solidarity with Israel. “We turned the UNESCO branch in Rome into our Western Wall for one day,” he said.