ISRAEL ISSUES CERTIFICATES TO CHRISTIAN PILGRIMS Aims to Boost Religious Tourism, JERUSALEM, JULY 30, 2004 (Zenit.org)

JERUSALEM, JULY 30, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Christian pilgrims to Israel will soon be granted religious certificates by the Ministry of Tourism, as part of a new initiative to increase visitors to the Holy Land.

The certificates, which will be inaugurated by Tourism Minister Gideon Ezra, aim to give Christian visits to Jerusalem a prominence similar to that of the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, the Haaretz newspaper explained July 23.

Ezra, who was appointed tourism minister earlier this month, said that "more than 2 million people make the trip every year to Mecca," the newspaper reported. "There's a lot of crowding, the excitement is huge, and there's no reason that it shouldn't be the same thing in Jerusalem."

"The idea is to create an appetite for future Christian pilgrims to continue visiting," the Ezra explained.

Currently, organized groups of both Christians and Jews are granted tourism-ministry certificates appointing them "ambassadors of good will."

The new plan, however, which will be launched in the coming months, will be designed specifically for Christian tourists.

In 2000, 2.67 million tourists arrived in Israel, half of them Christian. Last year, only 30% of the estimated 1.06 million tourists were Christian.

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The International Court of Justice in The Hague rules against Wall, AsiaNews.com, 9 July, 2004

Political decisions remain the purview of the United Nations. The Court upholds open access to the Holy Sites. Fr. David Jaeger, Franciscan in the Holy Land, speaks on the matter

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – In exercising its authority, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) affirmed its jurisdiction in the matter and its right to rule on the legality of the wall separating Israel from the Occupied Territories It began outlying the terms of its decision today at 3 p.m.

Begun in 2002, the wall is seen by Israel as a defensive barrier. Israeli officials have pointed out that because of the wall terrorist attacks have dropped by 90% in the last few months. Palestinians retort that the wall is being largely built on occupied land and is making their lives difficult, if not impossible.

The Court’s decision was read by the President, Chinese judge Shi Jiuyong, in a session that lasted two hours. Sources from the European Union as well as Israel and Palestine had already leaked some information, and as the leaks predicted, the Court found the barrier “contrary to international law” and called for its dismantlement. Palestinians whose land was expropriated for building the wall should receive compensation for damages suffered.

Israel’s Justice Minister Yosef Lapid stated that the Jewish State would not accept the decision of the Court. Palestinians instead praise the decision as an “historic victory.”

In order to fully appreciate the significance of the ICJ’s decision, AsiaNews asked Father David Jaeger for his opinion. Father Jaeger is a Franciscan of the Holy Land Custody and a well-known legal scholar and Middle East expert. His views are especially important since Israel has promised to guarantee open access to the Holy Sights under its control.

What is the significance of the ICJ decision?

The Court’s decisions are often a source of a widespread misunderstanding. Such decisions do not come at the end of a trial; they are not verdicts; they are just legal opinions. In the wall case, it is a legal opinion that the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) pursuant to its Statutes and those of the Court. The Court reached an opinion and made it public. Thus, the legal part of the issue is done and over. What is left is the political phase which goes back to the UN.

What impact will the ruling have?

It all depends on what the UN will do or not do. Interestingly, the ICG’s decision came in the wake of that of Israel’s Supreme Court. A few days ago, it ordered its own government to change the alignment of the wall in order to reduce its impact on the lives of the people living on the West Bank.

What changes with the ICJ decision?

The Court did not rule on any dispute between Israel and Palestine. The opinion is not about Israel or Palestine but was made on behalf of the UN. Once the UN makes a decision, that is to say, if it wants to make one, Israel can respond. But the UN can decide not to decide. If it does decide to pass a resolution making demands on Israel, it is possible that it may not demand all that is in the Court’s opinion.

And what is your own opinion?

The Court’s opinion was expected and was no big surprise. What matters to me are the sections about the Holy Sites. The wall’s alignment heavily disrupts movements to and fro the Mount of Olives. The wall cuts across Bethany ((al-Azariyeh, Editor’s Note), especially the Sanctuary of St. Lazarus, just outside of Jerusalem cutting it off from the traditional pilgrims’ route from Jerusalem. This is a problem for the Catholic Church. Many US Congressmen and women, traditionally pro-Israel, have asked several times that the wall alignment be changed in this area. Irrespective of the Court’s or the UN’s decision,ncerely hope that Israel ponders over where it puts the wall on the Mount of Olives. That way we can keep all sanctuaries and holy sights together.

Israeli court decision a "double-edged sword," Franciscan says , CWNews.com, 1 July, 2004, Jerusalem

Israeli court decision a "double-edged sword," Franciscan says

Jerusalem, Jul. 01 (CWNews.com) - A June 30 decision by the Israeli supreme court, requiring modifications to the Israeli "security fence" running through Palestinian territory, is a "two-edged sword," according to a spokesman for the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

The Israeli court ruled that a 20-mile stretch of the fence should be moved, because building a fence according to the current plans would impose serious hardships on the Palestinian residents of the region, in villages northwest of Jerusalem. The court declared that in building the security fence-- which runs for over 400 miles through the West Bank-- the Israeli military must balance security concerns against the legitimate needs of Palestinian residents.

Father David Jaeger told a Vatican Radio audience that the court decision was a setback for the Israeli military, insofar as the three-judge tribunal unanimously agreed that the current plans for the wall are not the only possible means of assuring security for Israel. On the other hand, the court upheld the right of the Israeli government to build the wall, and to seize Palestinian territory for that purpose.

On balance, Father Jaeger argued, the court's decision might be a setback for the rights of Palestinians. "It is precisely by delegimatizing a part of the path of the mar that the court might help the government ward off internal crises," he said.

Catholic leaders in the Holy Land, joined by Pope John Paul II (bio - news), have strongl supported Palestinian criticism of the Israeli security wall. The barrier-- which includes barbed wire, trenches, and 20-foot concrete walls in some locations-- cuts through several Palestinian villages, and separates many residents from their neighbors, lands, and workplaces. Father Jaeger noted that "the wall blocks farmers from their fields, children from their schools, employees from their jobs, and patients from their hospitals." Moreover, he said, the barrier "severs the social life and social fabric of entire communities."

While the Israeli court's June 30 decision will alleviate the distress for some Palestinians living near Jerusalem, the overall complaint remains. The international court at The Hague is scheduled to hear a complaint brought by Palestinians against the construction of the wall on July 9. The issue could also be brought up for debate at the UN.

Father Jaeger pointed out that the construction of the wall would also impede the access of Christian pilgrims to many of the shrines in the Holy Land. The "security fence" would divide the Mount of Olives, for example. The tomb of Lazarus, and the home of Martha and Mary at Bethany, would on the other side of the wall, inaccessible from Jerusalem.