American Christian Conference Urges Three-faith Parley on Palestine

A resolution calling for a meeting of representative leaders of Christianity, Islam and Judaism, for the purpose of “lessening the tensions engulfing the Holy Land,” was issued here today by the national conference of the American-Christian Palestine Committee, at the conclusion of its three-day conference on Middle Eastern problems. More than 200 delegates from various parts of the country, including many clergymen and educators, attended the parley.

“It is of the utmost importance that these three faiths find a way of reconciling and jointly furthering their spiritual goals in the land sacred to all,” the resolution said. It warned that “unless the major religions make peace with one another, there may even be a red flag flying over all the Holy Places, and there will be nothing left to differ about” The American Christian Palestine Committee also urged the United States Government to:

1. Press for the acceptance by the Arab states and Israel of the Johnston plan for the division of the waters of the Jordan River in the interests of not only the states concerned, but also of the Arab refugees.

2. Initiate such measures as may be necessary to guarantee the present borders between the Arab states and Israel against violation by force.

3. Recommend both in the United Nations and elsewhere the resettlement of the Arab refugees in the territories where they now reside, with compensation to be made to both Arab and Jewish refugees for abandoned or lost properties.

4. Contribute to the creation of a Middle East development authority in which both the Western Powers and the nations of the area are to be invited to cooperate, “which would open up vast new areas for the settlement of the refugees.”