Israel has frozen its relations with UNESCO as a sign of protest against a resolution with which the international organisation declares that the Holy places on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem cannot be linked to Judaism.

In this way, UNESCO – a key part of the UN – practically declares that the hill where the Al-Aqsa Mosque is located (the second holiest place for Muslims after Mecca) is a Holy Islamic site only.

In a letter addressed to the General director of UNESCO Irina Bokova, Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett accused UNESCO of ignoring “thousands of years of Judaic links to Jerusalem” and of supporting “Islamic terror”.

Not a single European country has supported the resolution submitted by Arab states.

In the vote of the 58-member commission, 24 countries voted “for”, 6 voted “against” (USA, Germany, Holland, the UK, Lithuania and Estonia) and 26 abstained. Two countries did not participate in the vote.

The text of the resolution will be submitted for formal approval by UNESCO’s Executive Board next week.

Israeli PM Netanyahu described the text as “absurd” and accused the UN and UNESCO of participating in a “moral farce”.