Forty-four Jewish members of the New York State Legislature, brought together by the National Association of Jewish Legislators, have signed a petition to President Carter, urging him not to apply pressure to partition Jerusalem and to “resist whatever pressure. the PLO and Arab nations may apply to accomplish this end.”
The petition states that the legislators are “deeply alarmed that the effort to sever the Holy City will negate all the great work that Teddy Kollek, Mayor of Jerusalem, and the Israeli government have done to unify the city, protect the religious rights of Christians, Moslems, Jews and others.”
Stressing that they “admire the great historical achievement you have made against heavy odds to negotiate a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, the petitioners state that any effort by the U.S. government to split Jerusalem will vitiate “much of the hard work you have done to achieve peace in the Middle East.”
According to Albert J. Abrams, executive director of the National Association of Jewish Legislators, this is the first time that New York State Jewish legislators have ever unified behind an issue, and it reflects their “heightened concerns” regarding Jerusalem.
The petition stresses that peace efforts can be “eroded” by giving the PLO and other Arabs “the part of Jerusalem that Jordan seized in 1948 and that was recovered by Israel in 1967.” The 44 signers include Assemblyman Stanley Fink, Speaker of the Assembly, Senator Manfred Ohrenstein, Minority Leader of the State Senate, and Senator Emanuel Gold, Deputy Minority Leader.
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