August 10, 2000
Putting its religious weight behind the Palestinians, the Vatican told a senior Palestinian official that the Holy See supports the Palestinian demand for sovereignty over East Jerusalem. Vatican officials told visiting Palestinian Minister of International Cooperation Nabil Shaath, the Vatican based its position on the recognition of UN Resolution 242.
Shaath's visit came at a time when several media reports stated that the Vatican wants Jerusalem to be an international city, some thing the Palestinians reject. The reports began circulating after U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited the Vatican shortly after the Camp David Summit.
Shaath said the Vatican wants international guarantees for the freedom of worship in the city, not an international city. The Vatican promised further support for the Palestinians, saying it would recognize an independent Palestinian state. "They (Vatican officials) said they would recognize an independent Palestinian state, they said they would not be the first to recognize it but they won't be the last," Shaath said. For the Palestinians, the Vatican position is very important and gives strengthen to the Palestinian negotiating position on Jerusalem, which is considered the most complex of all the core issues.
