Palestinian researcher libels Zionist leader Herzl, claims he planned to “destroy all the Muslim and Christian antiquities” in Jerusalem

Researcher of international law Samir Zaher: “I remember something that [Zionist leader] Herzl said during the Zionist Congress in Basel: ‘If we gain control of Jerusalem, we will destroy all the Muslim and Christian antiquities.’ That is what is currently happening.”

Official PA TV host: “Yes.”

Note: Zionist leader Theodor Herzl never made such a statement at the Zionist Congress. While Herzl did write in his diary that if the Jews ever got Jerusalem he would “clean it” of dirt and of anything “not holy” in an effort to make the city more orderly and accessible, he noted his desire to preserve the holy sites and the old building style while building a modern city around them.

Note: Israel does not destroy Muslim and Christian antiquities.