Communicated by the
Foreign Ministry Spokesman
Jerusalem, September 12, 2000 Acting FM Meets with the Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem
Acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami met yesterday (September 11), on his own initiative, with the church leaders in Jerusalem, for a discussion following his visit to the Vatican. During the meeting, he discussed with them the negotiations with the Palestinians, in the context of Jerusalem.The Minister said that the religious issues in Jerusalem are very important, but that relations should not reach the level of an inter-faith dispute. The Minister added that the parties should not be arguing about what is sacred to their own religions, but, rather, they should respect the beliefs of other faiths.
Ben-Ami expressed his support for a dialogue between the representatives of the three monotheistic faiths, which would contribute to an atmosphere of coexistence in Jerusalem.