Nativity Church in Bethlehem endangered site: UNESCO

June 30, 2012: UNESCO's World Heritage committee has voted to approve a Palestinian bid to place the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on its list of sites of World Heritage in danger.

The Palestinians had pressed to have the church and pilgrimage route inscribed as an emergency candidate at the meeting of the World Heritage 21-nation committee on Thursaday, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

UNESCO spokeswoman Sue Williams said the committee voted 13-6 to put the iconic Christian site on the list. Emergency status for the candidacy meant the Palestinians could take a shortcut to getting the church on the list. The three churches – Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic - acting as custodians of the site had also been opposed.

The churches keep the site under a so-called status quo agreement dating to the Ottoman empire, and fear the Palestinian action will upset that delicate balance. Parts of the church – which drew some 2 million visitors last year - are 1,500 years old. The church stands above the grotto that Christians believe was the birthplace of Jesus.

The drive to get the Nativity church quickly recognized as a World Heritage site was part of the Palestinians' bid to win international recognition. Some nations saw the move as an attempt by the Palestinians to mix politics and culture. The United States and Israel opposed. Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ilana Stein said the decision "has turned UNESCO into a theater of the absurd." "This is a sad day for the World Heritage Committee," she said.

The Palestinian application asked for recognition as a site of "outstanding universal value" urgently in need of attention. The application cited lack of regular restoration of the church due to the political situation since 1967 when Israel occupied the territories. It also cited difficulties procuring equipment because of lack of free movement imposed by Israeli forces.