Vatican expresses hope for Israel/Palestine and Syria
peace talks
(Vatican Radio) The
need for “substantive” and “sustained” peace talks between Israelis and
Palestinians and the conviction that this week’s peace negotiations in Geneva,
Switzerland are the “best chance the International Community has to bring a
stable and lasting peace to Syria and to the region:” those are the key
points made by a top Vatican diplomat in an address Tuesday at the United
Nations Security Council Open Debate on the situation in the Middle East.
Direct peace negotiations
needed between Israelis, Palestinians
Archbishop Bernardito Auza,
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the U.N. in New York, said acts of
violence in the Holy Land “continue to spiral, bringing many to doubt seriously
the continued validity of the Oslo Accords.” He called for direct negotiations
between Israelis and Palestinians “with the strong support of the international
community.” Such talks, he added, require “courageous decisions from both
Parties” and demand “fair mutual concessions.”
Vatican/Palestine Accord
offers a model for other Arab, Muslim countries
The chief of Vatican
diplomacy in New York also expressed hope that the Comprehensive Agreement
recently signed between the Holy See and the State of Palestine may serve as an
example of dialogue and cooperation…for other Arab and Muslim majority
countries” where in “some countries” Christians have suffered persecution. The
accord, signed June 26, 2015, entered into force on January 2 this year and
concerns the life and activity of the Church in Palestine.
Syrian conflict: stop the
flow of arms, step up humanitarian action
“Unspeakable acts of horror”
have been “committed against the civilian population in Syria and in parts of
Iraq” by foreign fighters from “all over the globe,” Archbishop Auza observed,
adding that these have led to sectarian violence and persecutions of religious
and ethnic minorities.
Recalling Pope Francis’
conviction that “only common and agreed political action can stem the spread of
extremism and fundamentalism that spawn terrorist acts,” the Vatican diplomat
appealed for “all those concerned to stop the flow of arms into the region and
intensify humanitarian action” that will allow refugees and the displaced to
remain as close as possible to their homeland.
Peace/Humanitarian
conferences best chance to settle conflict and ease suffering
The Holy See, he concluded,
“looks forward” to peace talks scheduled to begin Friday in Geneva as the “best
chance the International Community has to bring a stable and lasting peace to
Syria and to the region.” Archbishop Auza also expressed hope that the
Fourth Humanitarian Conference 4 February 2016 will “ease the suffering of the
people in the region and contribute to the overall settlement of the conflict.”
Below, please find the
full text of Archbishop Auza’s intervention:
Mr. President,
The Holy See commends the
Presidency of Uruguay for bringing the topic of the Middle East to the
attention of the international community through this Security Council Open
Debate.
My delegation wishes to
address first the stalled peace process between the Israelis and
the Palestinians. With the lack of substantive negotiations taking place,
acts of violence continue to spiral, bringing many to doubt seriously the
continued validity of the Oslo Accords.
The Holy See believes that
the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians can move forward
only if it is directly negotiated between the Parties, with the strong support
of the international community. This certainly requires courageous decisions
from both Parties and demands fair mutual concessions. But there is no
alternative, if both Israel and Palestine are to enjoy
security, prosperity and peaceful co-existence,
side by side with internationally recognized
borders. Certain elements among both peoples have suffered too long
from the misguided view that force will resolve their differences. Only
sustained negotiations, entered into in good faith, will resolve their
differences and bring peace to the peoples of Israel and Palestine.
Pope Francis, in his 11
January 2016 Address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See,
spoke of this failure to bring
forward the peace process between the
Israelis and Palestinians. He expressed the hope that the New Year
that has begun “can heal the deep wounds dividing Israelis and Palestinians,
and enable the peaceful coexistence of two peoples who – of this I am sure – in
the depth of their hearts ask only for peace.” Acts of violence and
inflammatory rhetoric must be set aside in favor of the voices of dialogue to
give both peoples that peace for which their hearts long.
Mr. President,
The Comprehensive Agreement
signed between the Holy See and the State of Palestine on June 26, 2015
entered into force on January 2, 2016. It basically concerns the life and
activity of the Church in Palestine. In the complex reality of the
Middle East, where, in some countries, Christians have suffered persecution,
the Holy See hopes that the Agreement may serve as an example of
dialogue and cooperation, in particular for
other Arab and Muslim majority countries.
Mr. President,
The nearly five-year conflict
in Syria rages on. More than being a conflict between Syrians, foreign
fighters coming from all over the globe continue to commit unspeakable acts of
horror against the civilian population in Syria and in parts of Iraq. The
influence of these foreign elements, has led to sectarian violence and
persecutions of religious and ethnic minorities.
Pope Francis,
calling upon the International Community in
his 11 January 2016 address, expressed the
conviction that only common and agreed political action can stem
the spread of extremism and fundamentalism, that spawn terrorist acts which
reap countless victims, not only in Syria and Libya, but in other countries in
the region and in North Africa.
My delegation will not repeat
the litany of horrendous acts of violence against the people of Syria, already
mentioned by various delegations, but would rather reiterate its appeal to all
those concerned to stop the flow of arms into the region and intensify
humanitarian action, in order to give the desperate refugees, and
all those displaced, the wherewithal to remain in their country, or as near as
possible to their homeland, with adequate food, medical supplies, water,
electricity, access to education for the young, and those elements necessary
for a stable and secure life in their own homeland.
Mr. President,
My delegation expresses its
support for resolution 2254 of this Council, which calls for
the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the
Syrian Arab Republic and for a political settlement to the conflict in Syria.
The Holy See looks forward to the talks scheduled to begin in Geneva later this
week. In spite of the many strong differences still to be found among
the parties to the talks, the Holy
See believes that these negotiations are
the best chance the International Community has to bring a stable and
lasting peace to Syria and to the region. The
Holy See also looks forward to the
Fourth Humanitarian Conference scheduled for 4 February 2016 and
hosted by the United Kingdom, Germany, Kuwait, Norway and the United Nations,
hoping that it will ease the suffering of the peoples in the region and
contribute to the overall settlement of the conflict.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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