Israeli assault on world heritage an unacceptable cultural genocide

Israel's relentless bombardment of Gaza over the past year has inflicted immense destruction, not only on human lives but also on Palestinian cultural heritage sites of great historical significance. This systematic erasure of identity and collective memory is a profound loss for humanity. Now, the crisis has escalated with Israeli forces attacking the ancient city of Tyre, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Lebanon with over 7,000 years of history. The use of weapons supplied by the international community, including the United States, to demolish invaluable archaeological treasures and obliterate centuries of culture is an unconscionable act. The preliminary assessment by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture reveals the staggering extent of the damage, with 207 out of 320 heritage buildings and sites in Gaza reduced to rubble or severely compromised. Among the casualties are the 5th-century Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, believed to be the third-oldest church in the world, the 12th-century Great Omari Mosque, housing rare manuscripts and inscriptions, and archaeological museums that served as repositories of priceless artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age. This assault on humanity's shared legacy is tantamount to a "cultural genocide" and cannot be tolerated. The international community, including the United States, must take immediate and resolute action to cease all arms transfers to Israel until it adheres to international law and ceases its indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations and cultural properties. An arms embargo is an ethical imperative to prevent further destruction of our irreplaceable world heritage and to uphold the universal values of preserving cultural diversity and identity for future generations.