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Ben Gurion Discusses Jerusalem Issue with U.S. Church Leaders

August 20, 1953
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“We have not established the Israeli capital in Jerusalem; it was King David who established Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.” Premier David Ben Gurion today told a group of 38 Christian educators and clergymen who have been travelling through the Near East. The group, headed by John Hoffman, president of the Winona Lake School of Theology, left here today after a three-day visit.

The Premier met with the group at his vacation headquarters on Mt. Carmel. He agreed to submit to their questioning and the meeting lasted half an hour. At the end of it, one of the Americans commented that they had learned more about the problem of Israel and the Middle East in the short session than during their tours of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The group also met with President Ben Zvi.

Replying to a question about the establishment of the State of Israel and the War of Liberation, Mr. Ben Gurion pointed out that “we had agreed to the United Nations resolution on partition, but on the second day (after the state was established) we were attacked. We are still being attacked.” He said that the Arabs came across the Israeli borders then and are continuing to do so.

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