Bethlehem: Basilica of the Nativity could trigger diplomatic crisis

The Basilica of the Nativity will be the first site in Palestine to be added to UNESCO’S list of world heritage sites. But Israel and the U.S. consider the presence of the Ramallah Authority in the UN’s cultural organisation to be illegitimate.

Roma -- A diplomatic storm is about to break out over the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. UNESCO has stated that the Committee’s next session on world heritage sites, which will run from 24 June to 6 July in St. Petersburg, will assess the request for admission of the “Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem” to the list of world heritage sites, as a matter of urgency. If an affirmative answer is given (as expected), the Christian shrine will become Palestine’s first world heritage site. Unlike their failed attempt at gaining UN membership, last October, UNESCO accepted the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah as a full member.

 

The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem

 

That the Basilica of the Nativity should be considered a world heritage site is indisputable: it is after all one of the first three churches that Emperor Constantine had built in the 4^th Century, in the key places that marked Jesus’ life. The Basilica pilgrims see today when they visit Bethlehem, is still the Byzantine version which Justinian had built in the 6^th Century. It is therefore the oldest Christian building in the Holy Land. The real problem, however, is political: Israel considers Palestine’s membership in UNESCO illegitimate. And the U.S. has taken Israel’s side on this, to the point of freezing their (substantial) contribution to the UN’s cultural organisation’s budget. Through UNESCO’s recognition of the Basilica of the Nativity as a Palestinian site, Palestine intends to achieve a different outcome in this struggle. The fact that there is free access to this world heritage site could give them another card to play against Israel on issues such as the check-points and the course of the wall that slices through Bethlehem.

 

But for these reasons, Christians are not as enthusiastic as expected about the move. Fearing exploitation, the Holy Land’s Custodian, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, asked for recognition to be given to the city of Bethlehem as a whole and not just to the Basilica. The intention was to emphasise the spiritual and supranational value of this and of all other Sacred Sites. The aim, above all, is to prevent political tiffs from causing further delays to the roof restoration work: each time it rains, water seeps into the Basilica and risks damaging this incredibly important place.

Giorgio Bernardelli

Source: vaticaninsider.lastampa.it