Israel and Holy See to Resume Talks

ROME, JUNE 6, 2004 (ZENIT.org).- Representatives of the Israeli government and the Holy See will meet July 5 to resume the talks meant to fulfill the Fundamental Agreement they signed a decade ago. The Israeli ambassador to the Holy See, Oded Ben Hur, confirmed the date in an interview with AsiaNews. «Hopefully the agreement will be achieved before the end of 2004», he said.

Under the Fundamental Agreement, the Holy See accepted Israel's request to inaugurate diplomatic relations. These relations should have marked the first step toward an agreement meant to grant to the Church more freedom in Israel. But Israel never transformed the agreement into law. Last August, Israeli negotiators inexplicably withdrew while talks were under way with the Holy See to reach an agreement on safeguarding Church property.

ZENIT Daily dispatch - The World Seen from Rome
6. juni 2004