Protestant Leaders Commend Israel for Scrupulous Care of Protecting Holy Places

Leaders of 1,500 Protestant Evangelicals from 22 countries holding a conference here, commended Israel today “for the scrupulous care with which it has protected Christian holy places and people” and called for the preservation of Jerusalem as a united city “at all costs.” Six American clergymen representing several major Evangelical bodies, signed a statement criticizing proposals to internationalize the city. They said it “would not be a viable solution.” They characterized internationalization as “an idea which never worked in the past.” The clergymen’s statement continued, “Jerusalem has never been the capital of any people except for the Jewish people. Comparing the period of Israeli occupation of the Old City with 19 years of Jordanian rule, they said, “We are struck by the fact that since the Six-Day War all people are free to worship in the place of their choice, unlike the situation that pertained during the period 1948-67.”