wfn.org | Vatican Official Predicts Starvation in Palestine

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Jim Solheim, press officer
Notre Dame Center
Jerusalem
Tel: (973-2)627-9111

Episcopal News Service 
New York City, NY USA
Tel: 800-334-7626

Website: www.loga.org or www.loga.org/delegationhome.htm

[Ecumenical Delegation to Jerusalem
December 7-12, 2000]

By James Solheim

JERUSALEM, December 10, 2000-- In a conversation with a peace delegation from 
the United States, the Vatican's representative in Jerusalem warned that 
there could be starvation within a month in Palestinian villages isolated by 
the fresh outbreak of violence.
   
While most attention focuses on the political struggle between Israelis and 
Palestinians, Father Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Delegate for the Vatican in the 
Holy Land, told a U.S. Ecumenical Delegation that the economic battle has 
become very serious. 

Unemployment is rampant and "five people depend on each salary," he said.  
The destruction of crops means that "starvation will begin soon."
   
Like many church leaders who met with the delegation, Sambi is worried about 
the future of the Christian presence in and around Jerusalem.  "As Christians 
we have some common problems," he said, many of them related to issues of 
identity.  "We are here to keep alive the faith."
   
"There is also a sense of solitude and loneliness for Christians, without a 
strong sense of solidarity."  It was clear to him that Christians would 
either survive together—or disappear together.
   
While Muslims in the Middle East have the support of Muslims all over the 
world, that is not really true of Christians in the Holy Land, he contended.  
"The lack of solidarity, however, is felt more at the level of church leaders 
than at the grassroots," he added.   Christians need "the support of 
disciples of Jesus around the world for survival." 
   
As a minority, Christians "lack strength and courage" unless they have a 
clear and strong identity.  "What is the motivation for Christian children to 
remain?" he asked.  "What's the identity of a Christian living in a Muslin 
culture, or in a Jewish culture?"

Changing images
   
When asked about the collapse of the peace process and the outbreak of 
violence, "We were expecting peace every day—until the new intifada erupted 
on September 28," Sambi said.  Until then Palestinians were doing quite well 
in their image before the world.  

"At the beginning Palestinians gave a better image of themselves and they got 
world sympathy," he said, pointing to the shooting of the young boy in Gaza 
while his father tried to protect him. 
   
Then the crowd of young Palestinians murdered the Israeli soldiers and tossed 
their bodies out of the window of a police station in Ramallah and the 
pendulum was suddenly swinging the other direction.  The big difference 
between the present intifada and the first intifada, which began in 1987, was 
that the previous uprising was fought with stones but now the clashes include 
the use of guns.
    
While Israel's superiority is absolute, according to Sambi, Israelis believe 
that certain Muslim Palestinian fighters intentionally provoke an Israeli 
military response against Christian villages in order to gain international 
support for the Palestinian cause.
   
Addressing the allegation that the Palestinians are using their children to 
fuel the violence, Sambi said "there is no place for children other than the 
streets." 

And they often use their older brothers as models. "This is a war of children 
and boys and it doesn't stop," he said. "It will be a war of and for the 
future."
   
When asked about the status of Jerusalem, Sambi said that 
"internationalization" of the city is not the Vatican position but rather the 
position of the United Nations which says the city shouldn't belong to either 
side.

The Vatican, according to Sambi, has said that it is "incompetent" on the 
political issues of the city's status, stating that those aspects must be 
solved by politicians.  Whoever exercises jurisdiction over Jerusalem should 
guarantee open access to the religious sites.  

"History shows us that whoever exercises jurisdiction favors their own," he 
said.  No one should have absolute power but observe "an equality of rights."
   
It won't be possible to solve the future status of Jerusalem without making 
it an open city with dual administration, controlled by a special statute—and 
with an international power in case the two sides don't agree.

A candle of hope in Bethlehem
   
Members of the delegation traveled to Bethlehem Sunday night to join hundreds 
of people on a candlelight march to Manger Square under the theme, "Justice 
for the Land of Peace; the Light of Right not the Fire of Might."
   
Beginning at the Lutheran Christmas Church where they were addressed by 
religious leaders from Christian and Muslim traditions, the diverse crowd 
flowed down the hill, stopping at four stations to read portions of scripture 
and join in song.  Arriving at the square, they moved to a stage for a series 
of speeches and greetings from religious leaders.
   
"We are marching tonight to tell the world of our continuing 50-year struggle 
to realize our self-determination and freedom," said a statement from the 
organizers.  "We are marching tonight to protest the military closure imposed 
on us, causing poverty, misery and hunger.  We are marching tonight to give a 
message of hope and light to people around the world seeking justice and 
freedom.  We are marching tonight to overcome fear and to light a candle for 
hope."
   
Bringing greetings on behalf of the American delegation, the Rev. John 
McCullough of Church World Service, the relief agency of the National Council 
of Churches, said, "We have come to light a light of peace and to hold it 
high. We know that God's promise will be established in this land."    
   
Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson, executive minister for Justice and Witness 
Ministries of the United Church of Christ, said, "Today the world celebrates 
international human rights day.  We, the U.S. churches celebrate it with you. 
 The moral arc of the universe bends toward justice, just as it did 2000 
years ago, so it does tonight. It bends toward Bethlehem."

--Jim Solheim is director of the Episcopal Church's Office of News and 
Information and is serving as press officer for the peace delegation. To 
follow the stories and photos check the Web site of the Lutheran Office for 
Governmental Affairs:  www.loga.org.