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The Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
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BRUSSELS (EJP)---Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, considers the recent Israeli government decision to add sites in Hebron and Bethlehem to the list of Israeli national heritage sites as "detrimental to attempts to re-launch peace negotiations."
"The European Union calls on Israel to refrain from provocative acts. The European Union recognises the importance of these religious sites to all three Abrahamic faiths and supports the principle of access for all," Ashton’s spokesperson said Friday in statement.
In Paris, the head of the United Nations cultural body UNESCO also expressed concern at the escalating tension after Israel's move to call two West Bank sites, the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, Israeli heritage sites.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this week he hoped to include the two sacred sites in an Israeli national heritage restoration plan. Israel will invest in sprucing up the sites, and will encourage tourism to the areas.
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Israel's decision to allow 600 new homes in east Jerusalem is "detrimental" to the peace process, Catherine Ashton said Friday. The development in the Pisgat Zeev neighbourhood, which has been planned for some years, was approved with modifications by the interior ministry's Jerusalem district urban planning committee in January.
Interior ministry spokeswoman Efrat Orbach said:"It's an old project, the principle of which was approved several years ago." The original plan had been for 1,100 housing units but it was scaled back, the Israeli Haaretz daily reported.
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The two sites are revered by both Jews and Muslims, and the Tomb of the Patriarchs, where the biblical figure Abraham is said to have been buried, has been a flashpoint for decades.
UNESCO chief Irina Bokova "expressed her concern" at Netanyahu's announcement and "at the resulting escalation of tension in the area".
Bokova endorsed a statement by Robert Serry, UN coordinator for the Middle East peace process, that the sites have "historical and religious significance not only to Judaism but also to Islam and to Christianity".
"The director general reiterated UNESCO's long-standing conviction that cultural heritage should serve as a means for dialogue," her statement said.
The United States has also criticised the announcement as "provocative", as have some of Netanyahu's critics inside Israel.