Contested Religious Heritage in the Middle-Eastern Region: The Old City of Hebron

The chapter challenges the evaluation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the Old City of Hebron/Al-Khalil carried out by the Palestinian government and approved by the World Heritage Committee in 2017. The circumstances of this nomination, the way in which the Outstanding Universal Value was constructed by Palestine and UNESCO, the importance given to the element of contestation and the importance of intangible heritage (architectural construction techniques based on a religious lifestyle) lead us to question whether it is really possible to claim that UNESCO’s tools are used in a neutral, objective and impartial manner in such a sensitive context of competing sovereignty. As the implications of UNESCO’s decision are remarkable, it is examined whether it is not an exercise of discretion in a pathological context of legal, political, cultural and religious frictions. Three main elements are considered: how UNESCO and the states construct the concept of Outstanding Universal Value of the disputed religious city; the importance of intangible cultural heritage as a tool to enforce the political claims of the parties; how UNESCO takes into account the element of contestation in such a complex decision-making process. From this perspective, based on the nomination of the Old City of Hebron/Al-Khalil, UNESCO’s decision seems to have a political implication, and religious heritage is the central actor in this narrative.