UNESCO, the U.N. agency charged with protecting cultural treasures, passed a resolution that declares Israel an "occupying power" in Jerusalem while refusing to recognize Temple Mount and other Jewish holy sites as legitimate. The resolution is expected to be approved by the UNESCO executive committee later this month. Washington Times: The U.S. and some European nations fought the resolution but were easily outmuscled by Russia, China and Middle Eastern and developing nations. Opponents were also hindered by two dozen countries that refused to vote at all, delivering victory to Israel’s critics in committee. A final vote by the UNESCO executive committee is slated for later this month. “One-sided anti-Israel resolutions have been a recurring challenge at UNESCO in recent years,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in Washington, decrying the latest version, which Israeli newspapers reported...(Read Full Post)