Utilizing the annual reception given by the president of Israel to the heads of the Christian communities in Israel, the prime minister reiterated Israel's policy on Jerusalem in general and the sanctity of the holy places and freedom of access and worship in particular. Israel will "take most careful note of the legitimate Christian concerns when the subject of Jerusalem comes to be on the agenda of the negotiations with the PLO, " declared the prime minister. Text:
Mr. President,
Your Beatitudes,
The Mayor of Jerusalem,
Distinguished leaders and friends,
It gives me much pleasure to greet you today at the traditional presidential reception, and to extend to you and to the members of your respective communities every good wish for the Christmas season and the new civil calendar year.
As our thoughts turn on this occasion to the vital role played in life by the moral teachings of religious faith, our march toward peace in the region where the One God revealed himself to our ancestors remains at the center of our political action. I feel sure that the progress achieved so far warms the hearts of each and every one of us.
As we go forward with the peace process, I can assure you that our gates will remain wide open to all who come in peace to the Land of the Bible, and that all the holy places will remain free, accessible and secure to all worshippers and visitors in accordance with our laws, namely the special law - the first in history - guaranteeing the protection and access to the holy places.
We are proud of our historic capital and of its role in the evolution of the other monotheistic faiths, maintaining all the traditionally recognized rights and privileges of the Christian communities in accordance with our formal commitments and in the spirit of brotherhood.
We are fully aware of feelings of uncertainty about the future of Jerusalem [that] have caused some Christians anxiety and uneasiness as to their fate in the city in the future. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the policy of the Government, supported by a consensus of Israeli opinion, that Jerusalem is and shall remain a united city under Israeli sovereignty and the eternal Capital of Israel. The churches in Jerusalem have fared much better since 1967 than under previous regimes.
The legitimate concerns of the Christian communities in Jerusalem do not require a special political status for the city and we are sure that these can and will be met adequately by the Israeli authorities. I can assure you that we shall take most careful note of the legitimate Christian concerns when the subject of Jerusalem comes to be on the agenda of the negotiations with the PLO, at the last stage of the peace process.
The size of Christian communities in Israel has grown nearly five-fold since 1948. We want all your communities to continue flourishing among us in a general environment of harmonious goodwill, enjoying the benefits of democracy, along with the entire population.
I wish you and your communities, in the name of the Government and the people of Israel, all the very best for the holiday season and a Happy and Peaceful New Year.