Road to Mid-East peace
A subtle shift in emphasis seems to have taken place in the Holy See’s approach to the question of Israel and the aspirations of Palestinians.
Under Pope John Paul II, the accent seemed to weigh towards a sense of solidarity with Palestinians, as the primary victims of injustice. Pope Benedict exhibits a more evident sympathy for Jewish interests—which, in his view, should embrace a workable and lasting peaceful settlement between Israel and Palestinians.
The state of Israel has invited Pope Benedict for a papal visit. The pontiff’s reaction was reportedly positive.
Should such a visit happen, it is probable that the pope would use it as a means of preaching the message of peace—not as an idealised abstraction, but as an attainable objective.
When the Vatican condemned the recent statements by Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (without naming him) which called for the obliteration of Israel, it unequivocally reiterated Israel’s “right to exist”—a prerogative which many Palestinians continue to question.
It is a fanciful notion that Mr Ahmadinejad’s wish might be realised. The state of Israel is a non-negotiable reality that will not and should not be undone. Israel’s enemies are ill-advised in hoping for its disappearance instead of engaging in a process of finding a functional solution to the Mid-East conflict.
It is difficult to see how calling for attacks on Israel—which invariably result in escalating counterstrikes—aids that process.
Mr Ahmadinejad and his ilk cannot claim to be proponents of peace when they are providing the obstacles to it.
At the same time, Israel’s government is provoking such hatred by perpetrating acts of injustice, such as its heavy-handed policy of assassinating suspected terrorist leaders with no regard for civilian casualties, the erection of the notorious security wall which runs through the West Bank (and not along the demarcated border) with disastrous consequences for many Palestinian families, or the arbitrary appropriation of Palestinian land.
The protracted antagonism between Israel and the Arab world is detrimental to peace not only in the Middle East, but worldwide.
Inequities in the treatment of Palestinians and their aspirations by Israel and the United States especially continue to provide Islamic terrorists with an agenda for their evil activities, and the likes of Mr Ahmadinejad with fuel for his twisted, repulsive propaganda.
In the latest statement on Israel, the Vatican restates its position: Israel is entitled to a universally recognised statehood—and, crucially, so are the Palestinians.
The road to this virtually inevitable outcome—the two-state solution—is yet mostly uncharted. On the way there will be all sorts of hurdles. These can be overcome only by dialogue and concessions from both sides. Clearly, the process will require external mediation.
As this newspaper has argued in the past, the Holy See is ideally placed to facilitate negotiations between Israel and Palestinians.
Under John Paul’s pontificate, the Catholic Church accumulated much goodwill and respect in the Arab world as well as in Israel.
Unlike most other potential arbitrators—such as the United States or European Union—the Holy See would have nothing to gain from any particular outcome. It would therefore be a most honest, trustworthy broker.
A Middle East peace is imperative. The Catholic Church has much to offer in the mission to achieve this peace.
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