Palestinian delegation to visit Vatican

A Palestinian delegation will visit the Vatican in coming days to meet with officials and discuss an economic agreement being negotiated with Israel. Officials are concerned the agreement, which involves tax status and other financial issues concerning Church properties in the Holy Land, would result in a recognition of Israel's control of East Jerusalem. The official Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa published on Saturday a presidential decree issued by Mahmoud Abbas. The decree reads that the PLO’s negotiations department met upon Abbas’ request and decided to send a high-profile delegation to the Vatican to clarify the Vatican's stance. The Vatican last week said that the agreement will not mean recognition of Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem. Both sides have been negotiating the agreement for years and there is no indication when they will reach an accord. Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of an eventual homeland. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and in 1980 declared the city its "united and eternal" capital. World powers have not recognized the annexation.