A change in the Catholic attitude toward the internationalization of Jerusalem is indicated by an editorial published this week-end in The Tablet, official weekly organ of the Catholic hierarchy in Britain.
A long survey regarding the future of Jerusalem concludes with the statement that the “nation of secular international authority in Jerusalem is both considerably impracticable and largely discredited. The paper, after discussing Israel intransigence–in insisting that the new city of Jerusalem is, has been and always will be the Jewish state’s capital–considers the “bizarre” alignment of powers in favor of internationalization–the Catholic countries, the Arab states and the Soviet bloc. The Tablet expresses the fear that this may lead to the Soviets’ gaining a foothold in Jerusalem.
The Soviet delegates. The Tablet continues, might set about, once an international regime is established, making it as difficult as possible to administer Jerusalem, using the experience gained in such other “international” cities as Berlin and Vienna.
The rise of a situation is visualized by The Tablet in which an international Jerusalem would be divided into sectors, “with one sector the preserve of the Russians, which would be a great deal worse than the present division in which the Old City is in Arab hands and the New City in Jewish.” The Russians might even succeed in maneuvering the West out of the Holy City altogether. The Tablet intimates.
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