Title: ELCA Supports A Shared Jerusalem ELCA NEW SERVICE - NEWSBRIEF December 20, 1996 ELCA SUPPORTS A SHARED JERUSALEM The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has added his signature to a full-page ad regarding the city of Jerusalem developed for publication in the "New York Times.? Under the headline ?Heritage, Hope and Home of Two People and Three Religions,? the ad calls for Jerusalem to be shared by Israelis and Palestinians when the stalled peace process resumes. The ad urges the U.S. government to ?call upon negotiators to move beyond exclusivists? claims and create a Jerusalem that is a sign of peace and a symbol of reconciliation. It is expected to be published Dec. 21. The placement of the ad comes at a point when Clinton and other U.S. foreign policy leaders are advising Israel not to block negotiations by expanding settlements in the West Bank. With more than 265 individual and group signatures to date, the text of the ad says, ?Jerusalem at peace cannot belong exclusively to one people, one country or one religion. Jerusalem should be open to all, shared by all ... two people and three religions.? It continues, ?As Christians committed to working for peace, we support a negotiated solution for Jerusalem that respects the human and political rights of both Palestinians and Israelis, as well as the rights of the three religious communities.? The ad was developed by Churches for Middle East Peace, an ecumenical partnership that includes the ELCA. In April 1996 the ELCA Church Council urged that free access to Jerusalem be guaranteed for all peoples at all times and called upon the international community to respect and protect the unique historical nature of Jerusalem as sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. ELCA members were called to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem, remembering the suffering and the hope of both Palestinians and Israelis and the challenges their leaders face as they work to move the peace process forward. In 1995 the Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom, Anderson?s predecessor, and other high-ranking Christian leaders called on Clinton to press Israel to stop seizing land and constructing settlements in Jerusalem. For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955 or [log in to unmask]; Melissa Ramirez, Assist. Dir., (312) 380-2956 or [log in to unmask]