wfn.org | Patriarch Says Still Chance for Reconciliation in Bethlehem

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But Sabbah says peace depends on justice

Contact: Fr Raed Abusahlia 
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
P.O. Box 14152, Jerusalem 911412
Telephone 972.2.627.1652

BETHLEHEM, West Bank, December 20, 2000 - Speaking at the opening of a 
children's art exhibit in this historic town, the Latin Patriarch of 
Jerusalem, His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, said "there is still time for 
reconciliation" if there is "peace with justice."  On the Feast of Children, 
at the International Peace Center on Manger Square,  near the place where 
Jesus was born, Sabbah called attention to the poignant pictures painted by 
children who daily face the pain "excessive violence" from Israeli tanks and 
the spoiled economy of a community virutally cut off from the world.  The 
text of his statement follows:

STATEMENT OF
H.B. PATRIARCH MICHEL SABBAH

In the course of the last seven years, a vision of peace was finally there.  
Instead of signing a peace accord that would've put an end to the century-old 
Arab-Israeli conflict, after seven years of intense "peace-process" 
negotiations however the two partners found themselves suddenly facing a war 
choice instead of signing a peace accord.  Amazingly, barehanded Palestinians 
chose to face Israel military might and its heavily equipped Israeli 
soldiers.  And the peace-process, that was supposed to culminate in peace put 
the whole region on the verge of collapsing in another unexpected destructive 
war that is not threatening Palestinians and Israelis only but the whole 
Middle East peoples.   

In its attempt to stifle this uprising, Israel, for the last three months, 
resorted to all kind of excessive violence.  It enforced a siege upon 
Palestinian cities and regions cutting them off from each other and from the 
whole world.  The loss of lives and material daily inflicted on Palestinians 
through all kind of systematic collective punishment measures like the 
nighttime bombardment of civilian residential areas and the daytime closure 
did not succeed in stifling this uprising.  This situation resulted in 
intense and very serious economic and social strangulation. 

The question here is not, as many have been asking, "who is the party who 
started this war," it is rather "why instead of peace after all those years 
of "peace process" we ended up facing the evil of war?"  We should read 
history and learn our lessons, the history of this Holy Land as well as the 
history of the whole world.  The foundational basis for peace is justice, 
i.e. no peace without justice.  

A peace that doesn't result in the satisfaction of basic individual and 
collective human rights and needs cannot survive.  

A peace that doesn't give Palestinians their legitimate and internationally 
recognized rights to self-determination and freedom is not a just peace and 
thus is not a viable and durable peace. 

Each one of the two peoples must be able to enjoy dignity, freedom and full 
rights on equal footing, otherwise peace will always remain a dream and will 
never become a reality in the Middle East. 

Political leaders tried to impose a peace formula through power politics 
during the last seven years, but what we got instead of peace was the evil 
choice of war. Israel today is resorting to its impressive military might to 
impose a peace formula.  Military power too is not giving any result. Neither 
power politics nor military power, if we learn our lessons from history, will 
ever be able to bring about a durable peace.  The state of denial of 
politicians led us to this dead end.  Justice and only justice could bring 
about a real peace for this region.  A prompt end of Israeli occupation is a 
must then and right away.

Nonetheless, I believe peace still has a chance for reconciliation.  There is 
still light at the end of the tunnel. I still believe and I still have the 
hope that I will see the day when our children and the Israeli neighbor 
children will be able to enjoy a peaceful coexistence in the beauty of peace. 
 We all however have to work for this day to come.  We as a church, you 
people of the media, local politicians, the international community, the 
United States, and all peace loving people.  Negotiations, I believe, is the 
best and most legitimate means to make peace.  Negotiations however this time 
should consist of real dialogue and be mediated by an impartial unbiased 
sponsor.  Before we get back to negotiations however, Israel should put an 
end to the Palestinian misery.

These children today, who suddenly found themselves in this horrible 
situation subject to terror and fear because of the nighttime bombardment and 
the daytime collective punishment measures, drew their frustration and their 
innocent dreams on paper.  These drawings are a cry for justice to the whole 
world.  The banners they are raising today asking for justice, peace and 
protection are just innocent banners with a lot of transparency and without a 
lot of political detours.  I join my voice to theirs today as Christmas and 
[the end of] Ramadan draw near, here from Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus 
the Prince of peace.  Today, as I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a 
Happy [Eid at the conclusion to] Ramadan, I call upon you, all people of good 
will to protect this people and to protect the Holy Land from another 
destructive war that will destroy the lives of many including that of these 
children as well as many others.  
 
Bethlehem, 20.12.2000