<

Israeli Ministers, Church Leaders Discuss Bethlehem
Tuesday, April 9, 2002
(7:23 PM)
By Julie Stahl
CNSNews.com Jerusalem Bureau Chief

Rev. Malcolm Hedding, Executive Director of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, condemned the Palestinian takeover of the church as a "provocative exploitation." ICEJ is a pro-Israel, Christian Zionist group that speaks for millions of Christians worldwide.

JERUSALEM -- CNS
The Israeli-Palestinian standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem entered its eighth day on Tuesday following inconclusive talks between two Israeli ministers and several church leaders.

Deputy Foreign Minister Rabbi Michael Melchior and Deputy Defense Minister Dalia Rabin-Pelesoff met with the Vatican's representative here as well as the patriarchs of the Latin, Armenian and Greek Orthodox churches and the Custodian of the Holy Places on Monday evening to discuss the current crisis.

Some 150 armed Palestinian gunmen are holed up in the Bethlehem church, which most Christians revere as the birthplace of Jesus. The Palestinians also commandeered the adjoining compound last week, after Israeli troops and tanks entered the PA-controlled city in an attempt to arrest terrorist suspects and seize weapons.

Israel says the 60 or so clergy are hostages but the church has not referred to them that way.
(More: CNSNews.com News Source)
2002 © Cybercast News Service.

Dan