We seek to keep you literally "updated" on movement in terms of truth and justice in the Middle East in general with a particular eye on Palestine. The links below will take you to various articles and websites that offer the perspective of leaders in the religious, NGO, and human rights communities. Additionally, Al-Bushra, ever vigilant, provides links to regular reporting as well as opinion pieces by journalists. The dates given here indicate when the link was posted; the most recent posting is at the top. Check the article itself for the date the information was released by the source.
This will be a crucial year for ecumenism, particularly
concerning Catholic-Orthodox relations, the head of the Vatican’s
Christian Unity council has said.
In an interview with charity Aid to the Church in Need published
Jan. 30, Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, said the meeting planned for May between Pope
Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew in
Jerusalem was of "great importance".
He recalled the first meeting between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch
Athenagoras in January 1964, which he described as a "great step
forward".
A fruit of that meeting was the solemn lifting of the mutual anathema
between the eastern and western Churches. Declared in 1054, the ban was
lifted on the penultimate day of the Second Vatican Council, 7 December
1965, both in the Vatican and the Phanar, the official seat of the
Patriarch of Constantinople.
The anathema, the declaration said, was consigned “to oblivion". Koch
stressed that this was "the start of the dialogue of love and truth".
Cardinal Koch explained: "When I read the texts from that time today I
am astonished by the passion for unity which they express. This passion
must be maintained and re-enter our awareness this year."
The President of the Pontifical Council for Unity also praised the
dedication of Aid to the Church in Need to the dialogue with the Russian
Orthodox Church which the pastoral charity has been conducting since
1992 at the wish of Pope John Paul II. The Swiss cardinal encouraged ACN
to continue to cultivate the dialogue with the Russian Orthodox
Church.
The United States should urge the government of Israel to
cease and desist in efforts to unnecessarily confiscate Palestinian
lands in the Occupied West Bank, said the chairman of the Committee of
International Justice and Peace of the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops to Secretary of State John Kerry.
In a letter dated today, Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa,
specifically addressed the situation in the Cremisan Valley, which he
visited earlier this month.
"As I stood amidst the beauty of this agricultural valley and heard
the testimony of the Christian families whose lands, livelihoods and
centuries-old family traditions are threatened, I was simply astounded
by the injustice of it all," wrote Bishop Pates.
The Israeli Supreme Court is to begin hearings Wednesday on the
proposed plan of a security wall that would run through the Cremisan
Valley.
Bishop Pates enclosed a communique from the bishops of the Holy Land Co-Ordination, which made a similar call:
"Our deep concern, as we have repeatedly stated is that this planned
security wall is more about consolidating the settlement areas and
permanently choking off Bethlehem from Jerusalem," wrote bishops from
Europe, North America and South Africa. "This particular plan is a
microcosm of the tragic situation in the Holy Land which incites
resentment and mistrust, making the possibility of a much-needed
solution less likely."
The bishops of the Holy Land Coordination are asking for international pressure as the Supreme Court of Israel is set to begin its hearings on the security wall that would run through the Cremisan Valley.
In a statement released today, the 12 prelates of the Holy Land Coordination, which includes bishops from around the globe, made a "call for justice to be upheld in the Cremisan Valley, near Bethlehem."
The Israeli Supreme Court starts its hearing Wednesday.
"Israel’s plans to build a security wall on the land of 58 Christian families should be abandoned," the bishops stated. "We met with many families from Beit Jala during our recent visit to the Holy Land. We heard of their pain and anguish. They are faced with the threatened loss of their land and livelihood as the planned security wall will destroy vineyards, groves and orchards and separate them from their land."
The bishops acknowledged the "right of the State of Israel to security and secure borders."
"However," they noted, "the planned route of the security wall deviates sharply from the Green Line, the internationally-recognised demarcation line separating Israel and the territories captured in the six-day war of 1967. More than three quarters of the wall’s planned route falls outside the Green Line and is illegal according to a landmark advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, while also a flagrant breach of the Geneva Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
The bishops, who come from the United States, England, Canada, South Africa, Poland and other nations, said they are urging their governments to encourage Israel to follow international law and, "in particular, for Israel to respect the livelihoods of these families and for the people of Beit Jala to be protected from further expropriation of their land and homes by Israel."
"Our deep concern, as we have repeatedly stated is that this planned security wall is more about consolidating the settlement areas and permanently choking off Bethlehem from Jerusalem. This particular plan is a microcosm of the tragic situation in the Holy Land which incites resentment and mistrust, making the possibility of a much-needed solution less likely," the bishops continued. "Our prayers are with the people of Beit Jala as they seek justice. We offer them also for all who seek a just peace in the Holy Land."
These are the bishops of the Holy Land Co-ordination, 2014:
Archbishop Stephen Brislin, South Africa Bishop Peter Burcher, Scandinavia, Finland and Iceland Bishop William Crean, Ireland Bishop Michel Dubost, France Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher, Canada Archbishop Patrick Kelly, England and Wales Bishop William Kenney, England and Wales Bishop Declan Lang, England and Wales Bishop Denis Nulty, Ireland Bishop Richard Pates, United States of America Bishop Thomas Renz, Germany Bishop Janusz Stepnowski, Poland
Last week, the Wall Street Journal published a piece entitled “Israel’s Christians Awakening,” by
Adi Schwartz, arguing that Palestinian Christians in Israel are
undergoing a change, separating their identity from the Palestinian
minority and enlisting in the Israeli army as a sign of close
cooperation with the Israeli Jewish society.
This piece was published just a few days after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a special video message to
Palestinian Christians citizens of Israel. His message served a twofold
purpose: it was both another attempt to present Israel as the protector
of Christian minorities (ostensibly in contrast to neighboring
countries), and an opportunity to encourage Palestinian Christians
citizens of Israel to serve in the Israeli military. The latter is a
longstanding tactic that has been used to de-Arabize Palestinian
communities, a continuation of Israel’s divide and rule strategy and a
hallmark of Israel’s founding fathers.
Netanyahu’s message comes at a time of gathering momentum in the efforts to boycott Israeli institutions for
their complicity in aiding and abetting Israel’s violations of
Palestinian human rights. But the treatment of Palestinian Christians is
particularly crucial to Israel’s image as a “Jewish and democratic
state” and its relationship with the Western countries that continue to
support it notwithstanding its abusive policies. It is this context that
provides a clearer reading of Adi Schwartz’s comments in the WSJ.
Discriminatory
laws and initiatives are passed to prevent Palestinians from connecting
to our history, culture, and religion. The infamous anti-Nakba lawprohibits
state funding to organizations that commemorate the dispossession and
expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians from 1947-1949. Segregation is
endorsed in approximately 700 agricultural and community towns
in Israel on the basis of “social unsuitability,” preventing Christian and Muslim Palestinians from living among the Jewish populations. Arab communities in the Naqab and the Galilee are subject to Judaization plans, non-violent Arab demonstrations against these policies are routinely dispersed with egregious and unnecessary force.
These discriminatory practices extend to everyday routines. At this time of year, it is not permitted to display a Christmas tree in the Israeli Knesset,
reportedly because such an act would be considered “offensive”. Legal
action has even been taken to allow the display of Christmas trees in
some public places, such as Haifa University. Access to higher education is made easier for Jewish students than Palestinians. Housing subsidies are
extended to Jewish settlers who want to live in illegal West Bank
and East Jerusalem settlements. These conditions often make Palestinians
desperate to leave the country in search of equality, education,
housing, and the freedom to celebrate the holidays associated with their
religion.
Today,
it may be true that there is some ‘Christian awakening’ in Nazareth,
but this is not and could not be the awakening described in Schwartz’s
article. It is an awakening regarding the Israeli government’s attempts to recruit Palestinian Christians to serve in the Israeli military as
part of their divide and rule policy. The reported alignment of
Palestinian Christians with the Israeli identity and their attempt to
disconnect from the Palestinian minority is questionable, at best.
Palestinian Christians are aware that serving in the Israeli army
contradicts theirnational interests and even their Christian values and beliefs and
would bring them no greater rights, privileges or protections. Members
of the Arab Druze community have been serving in the military since the
1950s and yet have not achieved equality; even those serving as officers
in the Israeli Air Force are subject to unusual screening, as seen
during a security exercise at the nuclear reactor in Dimona.
Thousands
of Palestinians, Christian and Muslim alike, are struggling daily
against oppression and are determined to seek unconditional full rights
for all Israeli citizens. Against this backdrop, it is foolhardy to
claim an “awakening” based on reports of only around 150 Christian
Palestinian recruits. Make no mistake: Palestinian Christians know that
joining the Israeli military or enrolling in the newly offered
alternative national service will not end discrimination, but will only
lead to further alienation and fragmentation. Those few Palestinian
Christians choosing to join the army only highlight the tough choices
faced by Palestinians in Israel in order to survive in the face of
institutionalized discrimination. Do they join an occupying military to
fight against fellow Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank in order to
later be eligible for state benefits, or do they reject such bribes,
demand unconditional full equality for themselves, and stand in
solidarity with Palestinians living under Israeli occupation who are
seeking freedom? Overwhelmingly, Palestinian citizens of Israel – both
Christian and Muslim – are choosing Palestinian freedom and equality.
Today, my father, like many other Palestinian citizens, struggles within Israel to secure equal rights from the state that, following the Nakba of 1948,
forced him into an orphanage as a child (and his mother and brother
into Lebanon as refugees). I live with my father’s personal suffering
and loss, with the hope that the common future for us all, Palestinians
and Israelis, regardless of religious belonging, will be based on values
of equality, justice, and mutual respect and not on a spurious call to
arms.
Editor’s Note: This Op-Ed was originally sent to the Wall Street Journal who declined to publish it.
The first preparatory meeting at the Geneva II Peace
Conference has ended today. The meeting is aimed at bringing an end to
the bloody conflict that has ravaged Syria for the past three years.
Diplomats hope to establish a transitional government with a new
Constitution and elections that will hopefully lead Syrians in
determining their future.
Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, the Permanent Observer to the United
Nations in Geneva, is leading the Holy See’s delegation to the
conference, accompanied by Msgr. Alberto Ortega Martin, an official of
the Vatican Secretariat of State.
ZENIT interviewed Archbishop Tomasi by phone, who pointed out the
challenges posed as well as the hopes that are emerging at the Geneva II
Peace Conference. Archbishop Tomasi also revealed that UN Secretary
General, Ban Ki-moon, was grateful for the Holy Father's intervention.
* * *
ZENIT: How are the negotiations proceeding? Are there signs of hope or is it a ‘Babel’ where each one wants his own thing?
Archbishop Tomasi: The situation is extremely complex, but there are a
few, small positive signs. The first is the presence of the Government
of Syria as well as the Opposition yesterday, and a very strong message
was given on the part of the International Community, with the presence
of some forty Governments and delegations, almost all of whom, with the
exception of Australia and the Holy See, were led by their Foreign
Ministers.
Therefore, the will of the International Community was manifested,
headed by [Secretary of State] Kerry of the United States, [Foreign
Minister] Lavrov of Russia and UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon, who chaired
yesterday’s meeting.
Hence the clear sign that the International Community is saying is
enough of the violence and exerting pressure on the Syrians who are the
ones who must resolve the problem, beginning with the ceasefire.
Tomorrow, here at Geneva, the concrete negotiations begin between the
Government’s delegation and that of the Opposition, to find a future
agreement. It’s a very difficult and very complicated situation, but
something must be done.
ZENIT: The Opposition was greatly divided among themselves. Have they succeeded in choosing a spokesman?
Archbishop Tomasi: The Opposition was not wholly represented at
Geneva. Above all there is a common voice that wants the foreign forces,
these violent groups to go home. There is talk, in fact, of more than
sixty nations represented by these groups of mercenaries and persons
inspired by extremism who come from Western and Muslim countries, and
they are a factor of destabilization which complicated the negotiations a
lot. However, those who are serious in the Opposition and of the
Government seem to want to speak with one another.
ZENIT: How can this galaxy of extremist groups that come from other countries be controlled?
Archbishop Tomasi: One of the recommendations made by the Holy See is
to stop the flow of arms and money to all the parties involved in the
conflict in order to concentrate on humanitarian rights. In other words,
to cut the money to these extremist groups.
ZENIT: And al-Assad? The transition?
Archbishop Tomasi: The launching point should be the conclusions of the Geneva I
Conference [in June 2012), which requested essentially, a transitional
Government, the preparation of a new Constitution and the holding of
free elections. Starting from this part of the first conclusive document
of Geneva, to then take one step after another to implement that
agreement which was strengthened by the Security Council.
ZENIT: Is there a glimmer of hope?
Archbishop Tomasi: We’ll see, we pray. It’s a very complicated situation.
Here below we publish the intervention of Archbishop Francis
Chullikatt, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the
UN in the Security Council Open Debate on “The situation in the Middle
East, including the Palestinian question” (New York, 20 January 2014)
---
Mr. President,
My Delegation congratulates you on this month’s Jordanian Presidency
of the Security Council and commends your convening of this timely open
debate on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian
question”. Jordan’s leadership draws on insights into the region of
great benefit to this Council, and it will be from Amman in your own
country that His Holiness Pope Francis, as a witness to peace, will
begin his own pilgrimage of prayer to the Holy Land on May 24th of this
year.
For the Holy See, the resumption of peace talks between Israelis and
Palestinians constitutes a positive development, in regard to which
Pope Francis has expressed the hope that “both parties will resolve, with the support of the international community, to take courageous decisions”.[1] Courageous
decisions are seldom easy ones and can make demands on us that may be
politically difficult and unpopular. Yet when faced with the reality of
conflict in the Middle East all right-minded people see the need for
change. Peace is not simply the absence of war but requires that the
demands of justice are met for all peoples and communities. My
Delegation, accordingly, joins its voice once more with all people of
good will who welcome, with great hope, the re-engagement of direct,
serious and concrete negotiations so that a rejuvenated peace process
may help unfold better prospects for the future.
Of great significance, furthermore, is the recent agreement of the
Permanent Members of this Council and Germany with Iran in respect to
its nuclear programme, which offers great hopes that an era of distrust
may be displaced by a new climate of trust and cooperation and it is
hoped that it will be fully implemented and open the path to a
definitive agreement.
Mr. President,
The Holy See has urgently and repeatedly voiced its clear concerns
for the peace and welfare of all the peoples of the Middle East. Most
recently it has been the ongoing situation in Syria which has prompted
Pope Francis to renew the Holy See’s profound solicitude for the
situation in the whole of this region. Calling the Catholic faithful to
prayer and fasting for Syria in September last year, Pope Francis made a
heartfelt plea “that the violence and devastation in Syria may
cease immediately and that a renewed effort be undertaken to achieve a
just solution to this fratricidal conflict.”[2] “Never has the use of violence brought peace in its wake,” said the pope: “War begets war, violence begets violence.”[3]
Mr. President,
May the Geneva II talks on January 22nd be an occasion for a renewed
reflection on the criteria needed to offer a new start for this
beautiful nation left prey to indescribable destruction and loss of
lives! These must include an immediate ceasefire without
procrastinations owing to political preconditions, including a renewed
commitment to promoting initiatives of peace instead of the sending and
funding of arms, which has escalated the violence and conflict. At the
same time, this must involve an immediate roll-out of humanitarian
assistance and reconstruction for the countless refugees and displaced
persons being housed temporarily in neighbouring countries, where so
many suffer life-threatening deprivations, inter alia, of
nutrition, safe drinking water and basic sanitation. The urgency of
rebuilding peace trumps the resolution of other political and social
questions, though such rebuilding certainly will need to include new
forms of political participation and representation that ensure the
voice and security of all groups calling Syria their home.
The Pope has expressed his deep concern for those experiencing
relocation and displacement in efforts to escape incessant violence, as
well as for those nations challenged by the influx of a great number of
refugees. The international community cannot stand aloof to their
praiseworthy efforts to assist. The Holy See – through its wide array of
educational, health care and social service outreach efforts – pledges
to continue to work alongside those alleviating the suffering of all
marginalized, uprooted and oppressed by conflict.
Many of these refugees constitute a worrying exodus of Christians
from their bi-millennial homelands owing, among other causes, to the
targeting and instability visited upon them by fundamentalist and
extremist forces. Interreligious dialogue and reconciliation will be
required, thus, to restore the balance in the rich and complex pluralism
of Syrian society. The Holy See stands ready to support all religious
communities in their efforts to reach new understandings and the
restoration of trust after these years of violence, revenge and
recrimination.
Mr. President,
The Syrian people have demonstrated by their history an ability to
live together in peace. Regional and international rivalries, therefore,
that have little to do with the Syrian communities themselves, must be
set aside, so that at the heart of the discussions are not these
interests but rather those of the individual human person and the good
of Syria. To this end all the interested parties are called to work
together if conditions for lasting peace are to be put in place. The
Geneva II talks must, accordingly, ensure inclusive participation for
all parties to this conflict, in the region and beyond. The Holy See, by
its presence, wholeheartedly wishes to support this objective.
Finally, I wish to call to mind the concern expressed by Pope Francis
for the ongoing political problems in Lebanon, and also for Iraq, which
struggles to attain the peace and stability for which it hopes.
Mr. President,
For the United Nations the challenges of the Middle East are a clarion call for its peacemaking role, the very raison d’être for
this institution. May this open debate help muster the much needed
political will to spur the international community to make a real
difference in the lives of the peoples of the Middle East and help them
to fulfil their dream of long-awaited peace! The global economic
situation no longer permits that the international community continue
indefinitely to fund growing refugee populations. Political solutions
are the best solutions even for the economies of these countries because
peace is the necessary precondition for the socio-economic stability
capable of attracting development funds. In his address to the members
of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See on January 13th,
therefore, Pope Francis urged the whole world with great insistence to
address the problems of the Middle East and to act, before any further
deterioration of the situation occurs.[4]
I thank you, Mr. President.
[1] Address of Pope Francis to Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, 13 January 2014.
[2] Words after the Angelus Prayer of Pope Francis, Saint Peter's Square, Sunday, 8 September 2013.
[3] Words during the Angelus Prayer of Pope Francis, St. Peter’s Square, Sunday, 1 September 2013.
[4] Address of Pope Francis to Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, 13 January 2014.
JAFFA
– On the occasion of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, a Mass was
celebrated on Saturday, January 18, 2014 in the parish of St. Anthony
in Jaffa with the many migrant communities. The Coordination of the
Pastoral among Migrants established by the Latin Patriarchate is
directed by Patriarchal Vicar, Fr. David Neuhaus, SJ.
Gathering the faithful from at least thirteen or fourteen countries to celebrate a Mass is not common in Israel. “Look around you,” stated Father David Neuhaus during his homily.
“Look at the brothers and sisters the Lord has given us, in their
diversity of origin and culture, language and color – Filipinos,
Indians, Eritreans and Ethiopians, Sri Lankans, Romanians, Nigerians,
Latin Americans, Poles, Russians, Ghanaians, Lebanese, Arabs and Jews,
Israelis and Palestinians and many others!”
This diversity of nationalities participating in a Mass shows the
importance of immigration that the Israeli government is facing. There
are nearly 53,000 asylum seekers in the country, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan, among them 40,000 are Christians. And there are over 200,000 migrant workers as well.
In highlighting this gathering, the selected songs come from around
the world. The universal prayer was read in eight different languages.
Readings have been chosen for the occasion, the Gospel was about the
Holy Family’s flight to Egypt, recognizing the persecution of infants by
Herod. A significant reality for migrants who have left everything,
often risking their lives, live in difficult conditions and often precarious situations after having arrived in Israel.At the end of the Mass, four communities presented their cultural traditions through songs and dances.
The migrant’s daily concern is to be able to work legally and earn
money to support the family. But this Mass was an opportunity to
rejoice. “We come to celebrate, we pray and we proclaim our faith,”
recalled Father Neuhaus. “We want to be witnesses that this celebration
is a great joy. In our world, outside the Church , the reaction to the
arrival of migrants is not always a celebration. Often their arrival
rather provokes reactions of suspicion and hostility.”
The joy of believing
If this Mass was exceptional in bringing together a large number of
migrants from many countries, it is nonetheless a further testimony to
the importance of the migrant communities committed to the Christian
faith. Surrounded by Sisters from different congregations and priests
from the various countries of origin of the migrants, the communities
come together regularly. In Tel Aviv, the Filipino community has a
chapel in a rented building that can accommodate 220-for Mass. On
Saturdays, the weekly day off for a great number of migrants, at least
four Masses are celebrated. The chapel is filled to capacity for every
Mass attended by Filipinos. Other communities – Indian, Sri Lankan,
African, etc. also use the place for their worship gatherings in their
varied rites and rituals.
“What is most important is to help them spiritually, so that they keep the faith,” expressed a Sister of St. Paul of Chartres from the Philippines. “These
people need to find courage and hope in their lives, it is by faith
that they persevere and succeed. They also need a family. Many of these
people are hurt, discouraged, and frustrated. They have left their
families. The Church must be a family that supports them to heal.”
A wonderful example of this need to believe is their willingness and
commitment to contribute and provide for the 32,000 NIS (6,400 Euros)
monthly rent for the chapel, where they can continue to celebrate, pray
and proclaim their faith in the joy of being one big family.
