FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMERICA RESPONDS TO PRIME MINISTER OLMERT’S STATEMENTS CONCEDING THE RE-DIVISION OF JERUSALEM; “THE RE-DIVISION OF JERUSALEM IS NEITHER NECESSARY NOR DESIRABLE”
“WE CALL UPON THE PRIME MINISTER TO SERVE THE CAUSE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE….AND FIGHT FOR JERUSALEM.”

Today, in the wake of statements by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert conceding the future re-division of the holy city of Jerusalem, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – representing nearly 1,000 congregations across North America – issued the following statement by Union president Stephen Savitsky and public policy director Nathan Diament:

The Orthodox Union and our constituency – who care passionately for Israel and pray toward and for the welfare of Jerusalem daily – are deeply troubled by the statements by Prime Minister Olmert conceding the re-division of Jerusalem.

The Prime Minster stated that he is prepared to re-divide the city because “the world that is friendly to Israel… that really supports Israel, when it speaks of the future, it speaks of Israel in terms of the ’67 borders. It speaks of the division of Jerusalem.” This is plainly not correct. To take Israel’s leading ally, where we and our constituents reside, as the example: U.S. President George W. Bush, while consistently calling for the creation of a Palestinian state has not called for East Jerusalem to be handed over to the Palestinians for their capital.

We would hope and expect the Israeli Prime Minister to be fighting for Jewish sovereignty over our holiest city – not abandoning it.

We call upon Prime Minister Olmert to serve the cause of the Jewish people in Israel and throughout the world, past – present – and future generations, and fight for Jerusalem to remain the eternal and indivisible capital of Israel and the Jewish people.
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The Prime Minister’s comments were published in an interview with the Jerusalem Post: