Vorster visits Holy Land

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34127, 13 April 1976, Page 21

Vorster visits Holy Land

(N.Z.P A.-Reuzer—Copyright) JERUSALEM, April 12. The South African Prime Minister Mr .Vorster) yesterday took time off from the official business of his visit to Israel to observe Palm Sunday’ at Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and in Galilee.

Mr Vorster had another brief meeting with his Israeli counterpart (Mr Rabin) last night, and a tinal session between the two leaders is planned for today.

South African and Israeli Foreign Ministry officials have declined to comment on reports from Johannesburg that an agreement is to be signed, enabling Israel to import 1 million tons of coal a year from South Africa, beginning in 1979, despite the republic's restrictions on coal exports.

Accompanied by Mrs Vorster and his Foreign Minister (Dr Hilgard Muller) and Mrs Muller, the South African Prime Minister joined more than 200 visiting pilgrims in prayer at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, an open amphitheatre leading down to a cave where, according to Protestant tradition, the grave of Jesus is located. Mr Vorster also visited the Western (.Wailing) Wall, believed to be the site of tlie Biblical Jewish Temple and Judaism's most sacred site. The visitors then flew north, and took lunch at the Ayelet Hashachar Kibbutz in Upper Galilee where, according to tradition, Jesus lived and performed his miracles. The English-language "Jerusalem Post" says in a leading article: “For Israel, the visit of Mr Vorster puts an end to the long dilemma posed by the need to respond to South Africa's outstretched hand of friendship and support." Noting Israel's continuing anti-apartheid policy, the article adds: "There is no reason, however, to make common cause with the hypocrites of the world who have sought to turn South Africa into a Pariah State. “Israel would be only too glad to establish pragmatic diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and Iraq, to mention only two examples of such hypocritic States.”