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Vatican Joins Palestinian Criticism
Victor L. Simpsoyn - Associated Press Writer
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The Vatican joined the Palestinians on Tuesday in condemning Israel's hold over all of Jerusalem as "morally and legally unacceptable,'' aggravating the Israelis just a month before the pope's visit to the Holy Land. An agreement signed by the Vatican and Palestinian officials called for an internationally guaranteed statute to preserve "the proper identity and sacred character'' of the city, which is holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims. The text did not mention Israel by name, but the Jewish state has consistently considered Jerusalem its indivisible capital since it annexed the eastern section following the 1967 Mideast War. It has repeatedly ignored previous Vatican calls for such a statute. The Vatican, like many states, has never recognized Israel's control of eastern Jerusalem. The final status of the city is to be decided in talks between Israelis and the Palestinians, acknowledged as one of the most difficult points in the entire peace process. The strong wording in Tuesday's bilateral agreement appeared to take the Israelis by surprise. The Foreign Ministry said the Vatican's representative in Israel has been asked to come to an "urgent meeting'' Wednesday to discuss the matter. "Israel flatly rejects the references to Jerusalem in the aforementioned document,'' the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Jerusalem, was, is, and shall remain the capital of the State of Israel, and no agreement or declaration by these or any other parties will change this fact.'' Zvi Tal, spokesman for Israel's embassy to the Holy See, said that while the Vatican's stance was known, Tuesday's action amounted to interference in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. He also said the Palestinians appeared to have breached an agreement with Israel limiting the types of further agreements they could make. The accord signed Tuesday covers the Vatican's relations with the Palestine Liberation Organization and the status of churches and freedom of worship in the Palestinian territories. It was signed on the same day that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met with Pope John Paul II and offered a last-minute invitation -- accepted by the pope -- to add another Palestinian city, Jericho, to his Holy Land itinerary. The pope is also scheduled to visit Bethlehem and a Palestinian refugee camp. The Vatican's stance underscored difficulties the pope may face on his March 20-26 tour of Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. During a 1998 visit to Israel, the Vatican's foreign minister caused a stir when he called the Israeli presence in east Jerusalem an "illegal occupation.'' End of article The pope fails to mention, only the Jews have had Jerusalem as there capital in ancient times and modern times. From 48 to 67, the Arabs kicked out all the Jews from East Jerusalem, burned 58 temples, built bathrooms next to the Wailing walls and barred Jews from Praying at the Wailing Wall. Also in 1929, Hajj Amin Al Husseini made lies up, saying Jews were going to burn down Mosques in Jerusalem. Husseini made these lies up, so Arabs would massacre Jews and will all know about the Arab Massacre of Jews in 1929. The Pope should learn history. Jews have been the majority in Jerusalem since the late 1800s. Not only that, the Pope visited Kurt Waldheim in 1987, when no other world leader would. The Pope said Waldheim was a good leader... |