Yes, You Can Make This Up
A friend has mentioned to me a couple of times that I should be writing more in the satire vein. I enjoy good satire – Monty Python, Oscar Wilde, a politically-savvy cartoonist. I also like to think that his suggestion stems from his respect for my ability to write and to make him laugh. The catch is, that there are plenty of things going on that smack of satire, but are actually true. I tend to be sidetracked by such distractions, and feel the need to comment and/or elaborate.
One such example is a report from the Jerusalem Post on an article in the Jerusalem Report entitled, “Palestinian Authority accelerates heritage campaign as West Bank tensions rise”. In Dura, a town just south of the Judean city of Hebron, a museum has opened that is “part of the ongoing efforts by Palestinian authorities to promote heritage sites across the West Bank, with the aim of protecting – and projecting – the Palestinian narrative.” The article quotes Hani Hayek, the PA minister of tourism and antiquities, as saying that this is the way “to ensure that the legacy of the past is kept alive and passed on through generations.”
According to the PA’s Tourism and Antiquities Ministry, “some 69 excavations were conducted in different areas across the West Bank over the past year”. Preparations are being made to submit the file on one of the sites, Sebatia, to be included on UNESCO’s [the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization] list of sites nominated for World Heritage recognition.
I cannot wait. Long have I longed to learn about the history of Palestine. About ten years ago the History of Palestine Museum opened just outside Ramallah. I, of course, only saw pictures, as I am not allowed to travel in that part of our country. It is a very nice building, inside and out.. It was also, at the time of its opening, very empty. They have since changed the name to the Museum of Palestine, a showcase for the present and the future. Evidently, one cannot put on display that which does not exist.
That is the challenge of the PA’s Tourism and Antiquities Ministry. It should not be that hard. After all, we know full well how open-minded the U.N. can be when it comes to assisting the Palestinian cause. The proof that supports the authenticity of anything the PA uses as a tool in their struggle to confront the “occupation” should have no problem gaining acceptance from so austere an organization as UNESCO.
Just ask UNRWA.