The Vaticans View on the Israeli-Palestinain Conflict

Introduction: The Roman Catholic Church has for centuries been involved in the struggle for the control of the Palestine, a struggle that historians call the great debate. During the twentieth century, especially after the state of Israel and the second Vatican council of 1961-1965, a major change took shape in regards to the direction of the Vatican’s political relations with key countries, namely Israel and Palestine. This change was for the most part based on three major factors: the church’s evolving social content, the new Catholic attitude towards other Abrahamic religions, and the shifting balance of power in the Mideast. Vatican foreign policy, like any other policy of international body, is subject to two variables. The†¦show more content†¦On October 2, 1979, Pope John Paul II made a pivotal address to the U.N. General assembly, pointing out that â€Å"while being prepared to recognize the value of any concrete step or attempt made to settle the co nflict, I want to recall that I would have no value if it did not truly represent the first stone of general overall peace in the area, a peace that, being necessarily based on equitable recognition of the rights of all, cannot fail to include the consideration and just settlement of the Palestinian question.†8 His statement, with emphasis on peace and the evacuation of occupied territories, indicates the Vatican’s hopes of one day seeing a future homeland for the Palestinians. Thus, the overall vindication of the Vatican’s beliefs is that creating an accepted and acknowledged Palestinian state is critical in order for peace to even begin. The Pope regarded this issue of great importance for the reasons that the only way to obtain peace in the Middle East was to address this issue firmly. In a speech addressing President Carter on June 21, 1980, the Pope stated that â€Å"the question of Jerusalem †¦ is pivotal to just peace in those parts of the world (Middle East), since this holy city embodies interests and aspirations that are shared by different peoples in different ways. It is my hope that a common monotheistic tradition of faith will help to promote harmony among all those who call upon God.†7 In order to find common ground with