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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
JCPA CONCERNED ABOUT VATICAN-PALESTINIAN ACCORD February 16, 2000 -- New York – The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) today expressed concern with the agreement signed yesterday by the Vatican and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which states that "unilateral decisions and actions altering the specific character and status of Jerusalem are morally and legally unacceptable." "The Jewish people in the United States, in Israel and around the world, are greatly looking forward to the Pope’s visit to Israel next month," said JCPA Chair, Steven Schwarz. "This visit is an important milestone in the history of the Vatican’s relationship with the State of Israel, with which it has had diplomatic ties since 1994. We have recognized that the visit would have to balance delicate religious and political considerations so as not to interfere with the Middle East peace negotiations. This accord, unfortunate in its timing, potentially undermines the peace talks, which are at a particularly sensitive position at this moment." Among the points outlined in the Vatican-PLO agreement, the accord calls for an internationally guaranteed statute for Jerusalem. "The Israelis and Palestinians have been at the negotiating table since 1993, hammering out agreements on every issue vital to all the parties," stated Schwarz. "This accord fails to acknowledge the past work and may weaken the ongoing negotiations. While we recognize the understandable interest the Vatican may have in securing guarantees protecting religious sites in areas under control of the Palestinian Authority, political statements dealing with Jerusalem and the peace process had no place in such a document." ### The Jewish Council for Public Affairs is the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community and serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 13 national and 122 local agencies comprising the field of Jewish community relations. |
