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luncheon with Prince Mikasa,
brother of Emperor H iroh ito .
Doors were opening rapidly to
heads of state-and through thcm
to proclaim Christ's Message to
leaders in many nations.
December 1 we were agai n in
J erusalem with an answer in the
posit ive. An official ceremony
was arranged in the residence of
President Shalmon Shazar.
Through the years we have
contributed much to this largest
neareastern archaeological project
of our t ime, beside sending many
students there for summer vaca–
tion work on the " d ig." Our
acquaintance and close friendship
with leaders in government , edu-·
cation and archaeology in Israel
have developed and cemented. As
Moshe Kol, minister of tourism
in Israel, suggested at our Knes–
set luncheon, we have built an
iron bridge between Hebrew Uni–
versi ty and Ambassador College.
Mr. Kol since has publicly des ig–
nated me as a "builder of bridges
between nations for
PEACE."
Mayor Teddy Kollek of J erusa–
lem and 1 have become clase
friends. One day sorne five or six
years ago he carne to my hotel
suite in Jerusalem, to "pay his
respects," and wanted to show me
his plans for a downtown city
park in J erusalem.
" J erusalem," he said, "is the
only world-known city without a
public park." He took me to the
site, close to the city center and
only a block or two from the
former border line of the walled
Old City.
It
was a perfect si te fo r
the purpose. 1 was invited
lO
a
luncheon attended by Israelí offi–
cials, the United States ambassa–
dor and the architects for the
project. The plans were studied.
Mayor Kollek asked if 1 would
sponsor the children's playground
first inside the entrance to the
park.
1
did, and now a stone post
marker there bears my name just
inside the entrance to the park–
now a most beautiful project.
Another time Mayor Kollek
took me over the city to show me
what he had learned from his visit
to the Ambassador College cam–
pus in Pasadena.
" 1
am trying to follow your
2
example, and make J erusalem one
of the most beautiful cities in the
world," he told me.
lt
is being
beautifully landscaped. Trees are
being planted along all main bou–
levards. T he Mayor took me into
the Old City. T here he showed
me how he is completely remod–
eling and re newing old stone
st ructures a nd renewing the
rooms within them to a beautiful
new finish.
In front of the Jnternat ional
Cu l t ur a l Center for Youth
( ICCY) building on the edge of
downtown J erusalem is a square
~bout
100 feet square. A sign
erected now calls it " Herbert W .
Armstrong Square."
So, beside personal acquain–
tance with President Sadat and
King Hussein , as well as the
resigned, though still active, Pres–
ident Franjieh of Lebanon and
other Arab heads of state,
1
have
close personal acquaintance with
leaders in Israel. 1 believe, there–
fore, that
1
can tell our readers
how they feel about these prob–
lems, as well as what is revealed
i¡;1 biblical prophecies.
Literall y hundreds of new
high-rise apartment residences
have been erected near the Old
City, to the east and nor theast of
the wall of Old City. The new
Hebrew University has been built
on Mount Scopus, just northeas t
of the city wall. The Israelis
would never have erected these
massive hi gh - ri se res idential
properties mere ly in order to
hand them over to Arab neigh–
bors as a gift! Mayor Kollek
would never have done the exten–
sive and upgrading renewing of
ancient stone buildings within the
walled city, if there were any
intention of tu rning this over to
either Arab nations or to become
an international city!
1
know our
Is raelí friends well enough to
know their determined intentions
without asking them.
However, Mayor Kollek will be
the first to point out that none of
tbe scores of new high- rise resi–
dential buildings nor the new
Hebrew University were built on
Iand occupied in any way by
Arabs. All was built on vacant
land , total ly unoccupied. No
build ings nor residences occupied
by Arabs in the Old City have in
any way been molested.
The Arabs who lived in the Old
City still live there. And they live
at a higher economic standard
than Arabs in neighboring Arab
countries. They have little crime
and violence. Most violence there
has come from outside PLO, Pal–
estine Liberation Organization,
commandos.
1 have personally been very
act ive in supporting the ICCY in
Jerusalem. This center is working
to br ing peace, harmony and
friendly relatíons between Arab
a nd Israelí you t h. And with
remarkable success.
1 also know t he views and feel –
ings, firsthand, of the Arab
peoples in regard to Jerusalem.
They, too, are sincere in their
view.
What about making J erusalem
an international city? 1 would
as k , as Mayo r Ko l lek asks,
WHO- and from what race or
nation- would
RUN
t he interna–
t ional ci ty? The J ews would never
accept an Arab and the Arabs
would never accept a J ew. And
neither would accept someone
else. The very idea is out of the
quest ion.
What, then, does the Almighty
Creator Goo say about it?
God once chose J erusalem as
His city. But ancient Is rael pol–
luted it and their covenant with
God. They were conquered and
driven out. God turned His back
on Jerusalem. He says He will
YET
choose J erusalem- it wi ll
YET
become His chosen city- but
it is not that today.
Look at the status of Jerusalem
today, and the prophecies fo r
tomorrow, in the Bible.
First , in the 12th chapter of
Zechariah. " Behold
1
will make
[am abou t to make- Rev ised
Standard Ye rsion) J erusalem a
cup of trembling unto all the
people round about, when they
shall be in the siege both against
Judah and against J erusalem.
And in that day [near future
now] wi ll 1 make Jerusalem a
burdensome stone for all people:
all that burden themselves with it
(Continued on page 44)
The PLAIN TRUTH