The publication of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta declared in its current issue that pressures on Israel to internationalize Jerusalem including those from the Vatican, were not justified because “the Israeli Government will preserve Christian and Moslem shrines and permit free access” to them. It declared editorially that “the call to internationalize Jerusalem is not only 19 years too late, it ignores the history of the Jews.”
The Georgia Bulletin, publisher of which is Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan, approvingly quoted a statement by Israel Foreign Minister Abba S. Eban warning the United Nations General Assembly to “ponder long and hard” before it recommended a division of Jerusalem “which would deny Jews access to their holy places as has been the case for 19 years.” The editorial said the “warnings and admonitions against Israel” by the Vatican and others “amaze us.”
The editorial noted that “Israel has lived a threatened existence since 1948 and did not start the recent war” which was provoked by Egypt. Jordan, Syria and Iraq joined Nasser,” it said, “in the effort to exterminate Israel.”
The editorial added that “now the defeated Arab world expects the United Nations to side with it and pressure Israel. At the same time the Arabs absolutely refused to negotiate with Israel.” The editorial indicated agreement with Mr. Eban’s rebuke to the U.N. “for not expressing dismay because Jews could not visit their Holy Places for almost two decades.” The editorial noted that “those who are now so concerned about free access have been silent for 19 years.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
