Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman of the American Section of the Jewish Agency, today issued a statement declaring Israel’s offer to hand over its Holy Places to the custody of the United Nations to be a “significant sacrifice of sovereignty in the interests of permanent peace and of friendly relations with the Christian and Moslem worlds.” The statement reads:
“Israel’s offer to turn over the Holy Places in its area to the custody of the United Nations represents a magnificent sacrifice of sovereignty in the interests of permanent peace and of friendly relations with the Christian and Moslem worlds. It must be emphasized that from the day the state was proclaimed, the government and people of Israel pledged themselves to protect the Holy Places and to keep them accessible to the people of all faiths.
“In its desire to meet the complaints of those who professed dissatisfaction with such national guarantees, the Israel Government last year offered to enter into agreements with the Secretary General of the United Nations concerning the safety and accessibility of the Holy Places. This year Israel is prepared to yield infinitely more – it is ready to relinquish its sovereign rights in portions of its own sovereign area to the General Assembly of the United Nations.
“This is an offer unprecedented in history. It reflects Israel’s unshakeable will to peace and its loyalty to the U.N., and at the same time provides a basis for a just and durable solution of the Jerusalem problem. Already endorsed in principle by a distinguished list of Christian leaders in the United States and elsewhere, the offer must surely commend itself to men of good will everywhere.”
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.
