NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- In an address to the General Assembly of the United Nations, Archbishop Renato Martino, the Vatican's permanent representative to the international body, has said that the security of Israel depends in large part on recognition of the rights of Palestinians.

      Speaking during a discussion of aid shipments for Palestinian refugees, Archbishop Martino emphasized the need to secure "the rights of Palestinians to freedom of religion, and their access to education, medical care, and employment."

      While expressing some concerns about the Wye Plantation accord between Israel and Palestine, and noticing the threats to that accord from terrorist acts, Archbishop Martino nevertheless called for rapid implementation of the peace terms. "At the same time," he continued, "my delegation is convinced that the security of the Israeli people will only be guaranteed when the rights of Palestinians are assured."

      The archbishop also reiterated Vatican concerns regarding the status of Jerusalem, and insisted that the Holy City should be under international guarantees, protecting its special character. He refused to distinguish between the specific holy sites in the city-- the shrines of the great monotheistic religions-- and the city as a whole, saying that Jerusalem itself has a special role in the world's cultural heritage.