Dear Mr. Utley:

We wish to draw to your attention to an inaccuracy in your report on the history of the holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. The segment ran on October 10 on the 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM news broadcasts.

In the broadcast, you stated, "For seven centuries, Muslims controlled Temple Mount, although Jews were allowed to pray beneath it. It was not until the Middle East War in 1967 when Israel occupied East Jerusalem, including Temple Mount, that Jews regained control of their holiest site, the old retaining wall of their Temple."

During the 1948 War of Independence, Jerusalem became a divided city for the first time in its history and remained so until 1967, with the western portion of the city under Israeli rule, and the eastern part, including the Old City, under Jordanian rule. Throughout that period Jews were not permitted to see, much less pray at the Western Wall. In violation of the Armistice Agreement, the Jordanians denied access to and the right to worship at their holy sites. Barbed wire and minefields separated the two sectors. A checkpoint in the middle of the city, "Mandelbaum Gate," was the only place where diplomats, clerics and selected others were permitted to cross from one sector to the other. The 58 synagogues in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City were destroyed and vandalized and Jewish cemeteries were desecrated.

When Israel reunified the city in June 1967, the centuries-old status of the city was restored and Jews once again returned to their holy places. The Jewish Quarter of the Old City, a site of Jewish settlement for over 2,500 years, was rebuilt and restored by Israel. Under Israeli rule, all religions enjoy freedom or access to their holy sites.

Historical accuracy is always important, and especially so at this time of turmoil in the Middle East.