
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 28, 1990                   TAG: 9004280066
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: JERUSALEM                                LENGTH: Medium

JEWISH SETTLERS PROTESTED

Dozens of churches from nine Christian denominations in the holy cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth closed their doors Friday and tolled their bells to protest the occupation by Jewish settlers of a church-owned building complex in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem's walled Old City.

It was the first time in years that Christians have staged a joint protest here and the first time since Crusader days that the massive wooden doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, legendary site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, have been closed to worshipers.

About 150 Christian clergymen gathered outside the church Friday morning to witness the closing and express their support for the Greek Orthodox Church, owners of the nearby St. John's Hospice that was seized two weeks ago by armed settlers claiming to hold a legally valid sublease to the site.

In a rare show of solidarity with the day-long protest, Moslem leaders closed to visitors the Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, two of Islam's most sacred shrines. Only worshipers were permitted to enter the sites.

The protest took place despite Thursday's Israeli Supreme Court decision to evict by next Tuesday the 150 settlers from the 72-room, four-building complex. Greek Orthodox leaders were dissatisfied with the ruling because it allows the property to remain in the hands of the Panamanian-registered company that claims it owns the sublease pending further court action.

The court allowed the company to retain 20 employees to guard and maintain the site, and the settlers made clear Friday that they interpreted that to mean 20 of their number can remain along with their heavily armed police guard.

The settlers moved into the site after darkness during Easter week, accompanied by a large contingent of Israeli police. The move set off angry protests by Christian Arabs and international condemnation by Christian groups and many American Jewish organizations, including some of Israel's most ardent supporters. It was also condemned by the U.S. State Department.

by CNB