Wednesday, January 27, 2016

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.

 

(from Vatican Radio)

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