Israeli official promises move toward accord with Vatican Vatican, Feb. 28 (CWNews.com)

Vatican, Feb. 28 (CWNews.com) - Vatican officials are hoping for new movement toward the completion of a diplomatic pact with Israeli, after a visit to Rome by an Israeli government official last week.

Nimrod Barkan, who handles inter-religious affairs for the Israeli foreign ministry, met with several Vatican officials to discuss prospects for an agreement establishing the legal and financial rights of Catholic institutions in the Holy Land. While in Rome, Barkan also briefed reporters on the Israeli government's perspective on the negotiations, which have become a point of contention in relations between the Vatican and Israel.

After 1993, when the Holy See granted official diplomatic recognition to the Israeli government, the "fundamental agreement" concluded between the two parties in 1994 called for the negotiation of a legal and financial pact. More than 10 years later, Church officials have become openly impatient with the pace of negotiations toward a final pact.

During his visit to Rome, Barkan spoke with several different ranking Vatican officials: Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, the Secretary for Relations with States; Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, the deputy Secretary of State; Cardinal Walter Kasper (bio - news), the president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity; Archbishop Jozef Cordes, the president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, and Cardinal Igance Moussa Daoud, the prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches.

At the conclusion of his visits, the Israeli official told reporters that he saw a desire on the part of Vatican officials "a desire to improve relations with the state of Israel." He said that relations should be improved in coming months by a series of visits exchanged by officials of the two parties.

A ranking Vatican officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the Holy See "always takes it positively" when Israeli officials visit, and "hopes that some results will follow." The Vatican official said that the visit by Barkan "shows that there is the will to move forward." But he added that "we are waiting to see if there will be some action following the words."

During a press conference hosted by Israel's ambassador to the Holy See, Oded Ben Hur, Barkan told reporters that he had come to Rome "to inform the Vatican about the progress in decisions" by his government. He said that the progress was substantial, and the final pact could be completed "in three or four months."

The accord that is now under discussion involved four key points, Barkan said: the taxation of Church-owned properties, the standing of Catholic institutions in Israeli courts, tax exemption for vehicles, and the treatment of revenues collected by the commercial activities of religious communities.

Regarding the first point, the Israeli official claimed that the question of taxation "has been resolved," and "does not require further discussion." Barkan told reporters that Israel had withdrawn some demands that were unacceptable to the Vatican, and the Holy See "was wise enough not to ask for more." On Church access to the Israeli courts, Barkan said that Israel has proposed a distinction between questions involving property rights, which the courts could address, and those involving specifically religious issues, from which the Israeli courts would abstain. "This is a key distinction," he said, because the Israeli government has insisted that its courts should not become involved in religious disagreements among Christian bodies. The distinction should resolve major disagreements, he said, as soon as negotiators can reach a clear agreement on the lines that distinguish property rights from issues of worship.

This question is very complicated, the Israeli official noted, because of the history of the Holy Land. The laws currently governing such issues date back to 1920-- during the period of the British mandate, prior to the foundation of the state of Israel. The laws are designed to avoid secular interference in religious affairs, but as they stand, they bar the Church from making an appeal to the courts to protect property rights. Question of property rights can often arise when different Christian bodies lay claim to the same shrines, or when Christians seek court protection from Islamic encroachment-- as, for example, when a Muslim group planned the construction of an enormous mosque on property abutting the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.

The question of taxing Church-owned vehicles is a "technical problem," Barkan said. The Israeli government is now seeking an inventory of all the vehicles registered by Christian institutions.

The final pivotal issue is the commercial activity of religious communities. Barkan observed that when Christian groups establish profit-making businesses-- in selling souvenirs, for example-- the government needs to establish appropriate tax systems. He argued that Catholic officials are looking for "exceptions" to Israel's ordinary tax laws. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that a mutually acceptable solution can be found. Barkan told reporters that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has instructed his cabinet officials to "show a willingness to resolve these problems." He said that the Israeli government is committed to fulfillment of the terms specified in the "fundamental agreement," including the completion of the pact under discussion.

Negotiations between the Vatican and Israel will resume in March, with an eye to concluding in April, Barkan said.

Regarding another question that had caused strains in relations with the Catholic Church, Barkan said that the Israeli government has launched an investigation into the violent clash earlier in February in the town of Maghar, in Galilee, where Druze rioters battered and intimidated Christian families. Local officials of the Melkite Catholic Church complained that Israeli security forces stood by, failing to intervene as Christians were attacked. Barkan conceded that "what happened was terrible," and the Israeli government "would take all necessary steps to ensure that such an event could not happen again."

Holy See-Israel Meeting Stirs Optimism JJERUSALEM, FEB. 23, 2005 (Zenit.org)

JERUSALEM, FEB. 23, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Recent talks held by the Holy See-Israel bilateral commission in Jerusalem have been judged positively by both sides.

A meeting held last week touched on the issues of tax exemption for ecclesiastical properties and access by the Church to Israeli tribunals, reported Vatican Radio.

Both sides agreed to further negotiations with a view to implementing the decisions, "allocating three whole days of conversations in March and April in the hope of concluding at least the essential part of the said negotiations," explained Father David Jaeger, an expert in juridical questions of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

"I can say that some of the problems that they must resolve still refer, among other points, to the guaranteeing of access by the Church to the tribunals, to the protection of properties of a religious character, and exemption from taxes on local properties," he told Vatican Radio.

"There is a good atmosphere," the Franciscan priest said. "The individuals involved in the negotiations have known one another for a long time. It is hoped that this good atmosphere will be translated effectively in agreed texts. Ideas are available for a satisfactory solution, in my opinion, for both sides."

Father Jaeger expressed hope that these negotiations will conclude speedily.

"In the order of the day there are already issues that await the conclusion of the present round," he said. "First of all, a necessary agreement on pastoral care for people in circumstances of limited mobility, especially prisoners. An agreement must be reached on entry and residence permits for ecclesiastical and religious personnel. There must be agreements in regard to Catholic schools."

"All these urgent tasks await the conclusion of the tax agreement on properties," said Father Jaeger.

"We foresee the conclusion for April 20-21, when the third meeting will be held," he added. "There will be a colloquium before, on March 31. We hope to arrive at the textual conclusion of the agreement."

With the signing of the Fundamental Agreement by both sides in December 1993, the Holy See accepted Israel's request to establish diplomatic relations.

The document articulates the regulatory principles of relations between the Church and State, while its application was subordinated to a series of complementary agreements -- to be negotiated subsequently -- that will ensure freedom and the Church's rights in Israeli territory.

Until now, these negotiations have resulted in only one agreement, in 1997: the civil recognition of the juridical personality of the Church and ecclesiastical bodies, but it has yet to become state law.

On Aug. 28, 2003, without any explanations, Israel withdrew its delegation to the negotiations with the Holy See while work was under way to arrive at an agreement on the protection of ecclesiastical properties and the fiscal statute.

Talks resumed in Jerusalem last Aug. 5, a meeting that is being followed by others in a progressive normalization.

For the time being, the question remains open regarding Israel's resistance to guaranteeing the Church access to the tribunals to defend religious properties and the issue of municipal property tax, from which the Church would be exempt, according to U.N. instructions.

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What Christians in Holy Land Are Armed With JERUSALEM, FEB. 22, 2005 (Zenit.org)

JERUSALEM, FEB. 22, 2005 (Zenit.org).- A bishop of Jerusalem says that Christians, as bearers of values such as justice, peace, dignity and human rights, can make a key contribution to solving the Mideast conflict.

Christians' weapons are those of "negotiation, patience and bridge-building," said Auxiliary Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, in a statement to ZENIT.

The Italian-born prelate has been in the Holy Land for 44 years. He was ordained bishop 11 years ago and has been patriarchal vicar of the Latin Church in Israel for the past decade.

Although designated as such in newspapers, he is not bishop of Nazareth, but a bishop who lives in Nazareth, since most Christians in the region live in that area.

The prelate said that there has always been a Christian community there, "a thread that runs through everything, incarnated in the culture and local society, through the ups and downs of political and ecclesial powers and jurisdictions."

"Today Christians in the Holy Land regard themselves as heirs of the first Christian community, something that cannot be understood if one does not keep in mind this transmission of the teachings of Christ from one generation to the other, from one people to another, between one regime and another," the auxiliary bishop said.

The first Christians in the main were Jews, while the present community is Arab-Palestinian, but this does not mean that the latter "do not consider themselves descendants of the first Christian community, in the thread of faith," he noted.

That the Christian community is surrounded by a Muslim majority, under the political jurisdiction of Israel, is "a new historical, cultural and social experience," for which there is no "model or experience of reference," said Bishop Marcuzzo.

"We must mark out our path," he said. "The Christian community lives a twofold minority condition, in the Arab community and in Israel. Consider a person who is Arab, Christian and a citizen of Israel. To be these three things at the same time is difficult; it is a challenge that we have addressed in our diocesan synod.

"During the synod we said that we should recover the original land of our identity, that is, the Mother Church, the Church of the Apostles, the Church of the Holy Sites, the Church of the Gospel; we have rediscovered there a fertile terrain, not tainted by history."

He added: "By vocation, we chose to be the Church in the Holy Land and to stay here."

The Diocesan Synod of the Catholic Churches in the Holy Land closed in February 2000 with the holding of an assembly that gave origin to the General Pastoral Plan.

The plan was the result of a process of several years involving the Latin, Greek-Catholic (Melkite), Syro-Catholic, Maronite, Armenian-Catholic and Chaldean Churches, and the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

The plan is entitled "Faithful to Christ, Co-responsible in the Church, Witnesses in Society."

Bishop Marcuzzo said that there are difficulties in relations with Muslims, but the problems are not "insurmountable."

The General Pastoral Plan may be requested from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem at media@lpj.org or from the Vicariate of Nazareth at latinvic@actcom.com.

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Papal Message Conveyed to Harassed Christians in Galilee Nuncio Appears at Mass in Wake of Attacks MAGHAR, Israel, FEB. 21, 2005 (Zenit.org).

MAGHAR, Israel, FEB. 21, 2005 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II's representative in Israel brought words of encouragement to Maghar, during a Mass celebrated in the wake of recent attacks against Christians by fellow Druze villagers.

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio in Israel, became the spokesman for John Paul II's prayers and solidarity with Christians of Maghar, during the Mass in the local Greek-Catholic-Melkite Church of St. George.

"I am here, to convey to the Christian community and to each one of its members the solidarity, the prayers, and the apostolic blessing of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II," said Archbishop Sambi.

He was joined in the celebration of the Mass by Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem, and by Maronite and Melkite bishops. Representatives of several Christian denominations also attended, reported AsiaNews.

In his address, Archbishop Sambi said that the Israeli authorities themselves described the violence suffered by the Christians of Maghar as a "pogrom" and new "Kristallnacht," bringing to mind the "abominable events in Jewish history."

The papal nuncio urged reconciliation in Maghar, but he also called for compensation for the heavy material and moral losses, and pointed out that the state of Israel did not prevent the attacks.

Maghar is a village of about 18,000 residents, 15 kilometers (10 miles) from the Sea of Galilee. Half of its population is Druze, an offshoot of Islam.

The violence, unleashed Feb. 11-12 by the Druze, was sparked by a false rumor about photos that a Christian schoolboy had posted on the Internet. For two days, Druze youths rioted in the Christian neighborhood under the gaze of Israeli police.

"The Druze attacked us four times," the Catholic parish priest of St. George's Church, Father Abud Maher, told AsiaNews.

"The first two times with the Israeli police looking on, actually withdrawing from the village," the priest said. "I called the nuncio to tell him about the situation. Archbishop Sambi then called the authorities demanding that they intervene."

In a letter of protest sent to Israeli President Moshe Katzav, Patriarch Sabbah lamented the lack of protection of Christians on the part of the Israeli police.

"While a whole battalion of the army guarded a small [Israeli] settlement in Hebron, a neighborhood of Maghar has been semi-destroyed without any reaction from the Israeli police," said the prelate in the Haaretz newspaper.

On Feb. 13, days after the start of the attack, 300 policemen were sent to the village.

Father Maher said the violence left seven people injured, and 70 Christian shops and homes were sacked and set on fire. St. George's Church was stoned, windows were broken and the facade was damaged, he said. A mixed Christian-Muslim commission confirmed these figures, said AsiaNews.

Of the 4,000 Christians who live in Maghar, 2,000 fled from their homes to neighboring villages, said AsiaNews.

Elias Daw, president of the local court of appeal of the Greek-Catholic-Melkite Church, told the Missionary Service News Agency that last Saturday, in the face of the persistence "of fear of new incidents of violence," "90% of Maghar's Christians have left the village."

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Nuncio's Words at Mass in Maghar MAGHAR, Israel, FEB. 21, 2005 (Zenit.org).

MAGHAR, Israel, FEB. 21, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Here are the words Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio in Israel, spoke to the Christian community in Maghar, during the celebration of a solidarity Mass.

On Feb. 11-12 the village's Christian residents were attacked by their fellow Druze villagers as Israeli police stood by without intervening.

I am here, to convey to the Christian community and to each one of its members the solidarity, the prayers and the apostolic blessing of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II.

These last days, Maghar, a pleasant village in Higher Galilee, has become unluckily famous in the world: not for deeds worthy of a human being, but for outrageous violence, which is unacceptable in a democratic state and a civilized society.

Israeli authorities themselves have spoken of "Kristallnacht" and "pogrom," words which bring to mind abominable events in Jewish history.

There are a few facts which have to be brought to the attention of the authorities and of the public opinion:

1) Those in charge of public order and security, failing to intervene rapidly and strongly in defense of the citizens and their properties, did not prevent the human tragedy which is under our very eyes.

2) In a democratic state, no one is allowed to take the law in his own hands and do himself justice. Those who dare to do that, violate the law of civil common life, and have to be severely punished, as a pledge that such violence will not occur again. If someone thinks he has been deprived of his rights, or injustice has been done to him, he should appeal to the competent authorities to seek justice.

3) The heavy material and moral losses have to be compensated; otherwise it will appear that violence is rewarded. 4) The authorities of public order and security should take the necessary steps to assure the residents of Maghar that such "pogroms" will never be repeated, and to restore the trust and the confidence of the citizens in the public institutions which have the duty to protect their basic rights.

Now I would like to add some more considerations:

1) Revenge is not part of our Christian cultural heritage. Jesus said: If you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? [...] If you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Reconciliation is the right path to follow. Pope John Paul II, in his message on the occasion of the World Peace Day, on last January 1, has given us a highly Christian mandate taken from Saint Paul: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

2) I am fully aware of the consternation and the terror filling the hearts of the Christians who were compelled to flee their houses and the village in order to save their lives. Nevertheless, I invite them today to recover courage and come back to their community.

3) I am here also to assure you that, from now on, the Pope as well as myself, the authorities of all the Christian Churches worldwide, and all the world will fix a watchful eye on Maghar, to check that the dignity and the safety of the Christians in the village be respected and protected.

[Text issued by AsiaNews]

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Pope’s solidarity towards Christian victims of Druze violence, say Nuncio and Latin Patriarch 20 February, 2005 VATICAN - ISRAEL, Maghar (AsiaNews)

The Nuncio calls for forgiveness and reconciliation, but also demands the State of Israel pay compensation after it failed to prevent Israelis themselves have called a ‘pogrom’. Fr Elias Chakkour asks himself if there is a place for Christians in Israel.

Maghar (AsiaNews) – A mass in solidarity with the Christian residents of Maghar, a village in the Lower Galilee, took place today. Last week they were subjected to a virtual ‘pogrom’ that included assaults, beatings, fires, shootings and destruction of property by Druze gangs. At least 2,000 Christians were forced to flee whilst Israeli police intervened only on the third day of the riots.

Mgr Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to Israel, and Mgr Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, took part in the ceremony as did Bishops from the Maronite and Melkite Churches and representatives from other Christian Churches.

Fr Abud Maher, of Maghar’s St George Parish Church, chose to avoid a large gathering. “We would have liked to have come from all over Israel,” said a priest who was present at the ceremony, but it was limited to the 4,000 local Christians and representatives of all of Israel’s Christian communities.

Mgr Sambi brought to the faithful “the solidarity, the prayers and the apostolic blessing of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II”.

In his speech, the Nuncio reminded those present that Israeli authorities themselves had compared the violence inflicted upon Maghar’s Christians to ‘Kristallnacht’* calling it a ‘pogrom’.

According to Father Maher, the violence left “seven people injured—two from gunshot wounds—and 70 stores and homes looted and burnt. The façade of the church is damaged from stone throwing, 155 cars were torched and 2,000 Christians fled to nearby villages.”

In his speech (also published in the AsiaNews website), the Apostolic Nuncio said that solidarity towards Maghar’s Christians requires three things: forgiveness and reconciliation with the Druze community, the return of the refugees to their village, and compensation of the victims for the losses they incurred.

Some clergymen who also attended the ceremony said that some of Maghar’s Christian and Druze families would contribute to the compensation.

This leaves little consolation to Druze community leaders who are still dismayed by what happened, filled with shame and stunned into silence.

Everyone, however, agrees that the government has to provide most of the compensation.

“Israel has the greater responsibility since Israeli police did nothing until someone started to burn down houses,” said one of those present.

Many are now asking themselves if there is still a place for Christians in Israel. Fr Elias Chakkour, 65, is one of them. He chairs an organisation that helps some 4,500 students from every religious background from pre-school till university.

“The pogrom,” he told AsiaNews, “occurred in a state that claims to be democratic, that claims to protect its citizens, but given what has happened one can legitimately ask whether unarmed minorities can live in this state, whether they have a right to exist or must instead always be oppressed and persecuted.

“I believe,” Father Chakkour added, “that Israel should show the entire world that Christians are not strangers in this country, that they have a place and rights; that they do need to arm themselves to have justice and protection.”

“It is absolutely urgent that life not become the law of the jungle where might is right”.

* Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass in English, was a massive nationwide pogrom in Germany overnight on November 9, 1938. It was directed at Jewish citizens throughout the country, and involved the destructions of hundreds of synagogues and thousands of Jewish-owned businesses. For many observers it was the first hint of what is now called the Holocaust.

Pope and the world are looking at what happened in Maghar, says Nuncio by Pietro Sambi 20 February, 2005 VATICAN - ISRAEL, Maghar (AsiaNews)

Maghar (AsiaNews) – Here are the words His Excellency Mgr Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio in Israel spoke to the Christian community in Maghar (Galilee) during the celebration of a solidarity mass today. Last week the Catholic residents of the village were victims of violence on the part of their fellow Druze villagers as Israeli police stood by without intervening.

I am here, to convey to the Christian community and to each one of its members the solidarity, the prayers and the apostolic blessing of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II.

These last days, Maghar, a pleasant village in Higher Galilee, has become unluckily famous in the world: not for deeds worthy of a human being, but for outrageous violence, which is unacceptable in a democratic state and a civilized society.

Israeli authorities themselves have spoken of “Kristallnacht” and “pogrom”, words which bring to mind abominable events in Jewish history.

There are a few facts which have to be brought to the attention of the authorities and of the public opinion:

1) Those in charge of public order and security, failing to intervene rapidly and strongly in defense of the citizens and their properties, did not prevent the human tragedy which is under our very eyes.

2) In a democratic State, no one is allowed to take the law in his own hands and do himself justice. Those who dare to do that, violate the law of civil common life, and have to be severely punished, as a pledge that such violence will not occur again. If someone thinks he has been deprived of his rights, or injustice has been done to him, he should appeal to the competent authorities to seek justice.

3) The heavy material and moral losses have to be compensated; otherwise it will appear that violence is rewarded.

4) The authorities of public order and security should take the necessary steps to assure the residents of Maghar that such “pogroms” will never be repeated, and to restore the trust and the confidence of the citizens in the public institutions which have the duty to protect their basic rights.

Now I would like to add some more considerations:

1) Revenge is not part of our Christian cultural heritage. Jesus said: If you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? […] If you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? (Mt 5: 47). Reconciliation is the right path to follow. Pope John Paul II, in his message on the occasion of the World Peace Day, on last January 1st, has given us a highly Christian mandate taken from Saint Paul: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12: 21).

2) I am fully aware of the consternation and the terror filling the hearts of the Christians who were compelled to flee their houses and the village in order to save their lives. Nevertheless, I invite them today to recover courage and come back to their community.

3) I am here also to assure you that, from now on, the Pope as well as myself, the authorities of all the Christian Churches worldwide, and all the world will fix a watchful eye on Maghar, to check that the dignity and the safety of the Christians in the village be respected and protected.

US Catholic leaders press Israel on pact with Vatican Washington, Feb. 17 (CWNews.com)

Washington, Feb. 17 (CWNews.com) - American Catholics leaders are stepping up the pressure on Israel to conclude a long-delayed pact with the Vatican.

Diplomatic representatives of the Holy See and the Israeli government met this week for the first time since December, the AsiaNews service reports. Their talks are designed to conclude the long-delayed pact that would fulfill the 1993 "fundamental agreement" between the two parties.

Vatican-Israeli talks resumed on February 15 after a two-month break. The renewed negotiations were announced shortly after the publication of an open letter in which the American bishops' conference asked US Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice to press Israel for action on a negotiation with the Holy See.

The American Jesuit magazine America , in its February 5 issue, added to the pressure with a stinging editorial accusing the Israeli government of a failure to bargain in good faith to conclude the terms of the "fundamental agreement."

In that "fundamental agreement," Israel promised to conclude a more detailed pact establishing the legal and financial rights of Catholic institutions in the Holy Land. But 11 years later that pact has not been concluded, and Israeli negotiators have dropped out of the talks on several occasions. The negotiations were resumed last year, after a long hiatus, apparently under diplomatic pressure from the US. This year, once again, the resumption of talks was announced on the very day that Condaleeza Rice met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The America editorial, appearing in print just before the renewed talks, said that "relations have been deteriorating badly" between the Catholic Church and the Israeli government. The magazine pointed to a recent court case in which the Israeli government argued that it was not bound by the terms of the "fundamental agreement." That argument, America said, "is an affront not only to the Catholic world but to all who take international agreements seriously."

Among the issues that remain unresolved in Vatican-Israel talks are the tax status of Church-administered institutions. American observed that two Catholic hospitals in Jerusalem could be forced to close their doors if Israeli authorities continue to press for tax payments.

America argues that Israel's failure to finish negotiations has called into question the wisdom of accepting the 1993 accord. The editorial explained:

Critics of the agreement warned that the Holy See had played its only card (diplomatic recognition) in return for a promissory note. More than 11 years later, it appears that is exactly what happened. Israel has not kept its promises. AsiaNews could not obtain information about the substance of this week's talks, but the news service that the next negotiating sessions would be held in March.

Holy See - Israel interim meeting in Jerusalem 17 February, 2005 VATICAN - ISRAEL Jerusalem (AsiaNews)

New meetings set for March and April.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - The permanent bilateral working commission between the Holy See and the state of Israel met yesterday for the first time since December 16. Talks began at 9 a.m. and were adjourned at 11:30 a.m. No official statement was released, thus the meeting's agenda was not disclosed.

While AsiaNews learned that talks took place, no official statement on the contents of the meeting was released. The delegations set new dates for three further meetings in March and April.

The Vatican and Israeli delegations had resumed talks last July to bring into full effect the 1993 bilateral Fundamental Agreement which called for the drafting of further agreements on the Church's legal status in the state of Israel, a matter that has remained in abeyance for over 11 years. The main issues still to be settled are questions related to tax exemptions for Church property and Church access to Israeli courts.

Editorial: Trust Not in Princes America, February 21, 2005 Vol. 192 No. 6

Editorial: Trust Not in Princes

"Put not your trust in princes,” the Psalmist advises. Friendly Israeli civil servants have given similar advice to Catholics dealing with today’s Israeli politicians. Given the recent history of relations between the church and the Israeli government, it is a counsel born of hard experience. For, though no crisis has been declared, relations have been deteriorating badly. Recently the Israeli government told the nation’s Supreme Court that it is not bound by a 1993 treaty with the Holy See. That declaration is an affront not only to the Catholic world but to all who take international agreements seriously.

The Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel was intended to establish a legal framework to govern relations between the Catholic Church and the Israeli state, which until then were regulated by a mishmash of rules dating to the Ottoman Empire. The agreement led to the Vatican’s recognition of the State of Israel. Critics of the agreement warned that the Holy See had played its only card (diplomatic recognition) in return for a promissory note. More than 11 years later, it appears that is exactly what happened. Israel has not kept its promises.

In a response to a petition before the court, the government asserted that the accord, though duly ratified by the cabinet, is not binding on entities of the Israeli state. Sadly, the government stand on the treaty is not new. As early as 1997, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, who had signed the treaty for the Holy See, complained of Israeli officials’ evasive pleas of ignorance of the treaty in attempts to resist implementing its provisions. “It is obvious that if State officials...do not know of the existence of the treaty or have not been helped to grasp its spirit,” he said, “the agreement will never be more than a piece of paper, a kind of dead letter.”

Archbishop Celli’s remarks caused a stir, but the Israeli noncompliance continued. Only in 1999 did the government publish the treaty text in the official register, a move that was supposed to make the agreement obligatory on state agencies but once more failed to have the desired effect. A Vatican source close to the negotiations told America, “There has been much talk of ‘an historic achievement,’ of a new kind of relationship, and so on, but no real consequence, no actual implementation, which there must be if the entire ‘historic’ exercise is not to be a sham.”

A key provision of the Fundamental Agreement required further negotiations on legal and fiscal matters, but in the meantime it upheld the historic rights and exemptions of church institutions until a new agreement could be put in place. The immediate occasion for the government’s disavowal of the treaty was a church petition to halt attempts to enforce taxes in violation of those provisions. At the same time, the government either suspended or failed to engage in the mandated negotiations.

The situation of two Catholic hospitals illustrates the deteriorating legal and political situation in which Catholic institutions now labor in Israel. Both are works of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition. Saint Louis Hospital in West Jerusalem is dedicated to the care of the terminally ill. Teddy Kollek, when he was mayor of Jerusalem, turned to Saint Louis to care for the city’s H.I.V./AIDS patients. Saint Joseph’s Hospital, in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, has served a largely Arab Israeli and Palestinian population and trained nurses for community service. In defiance of the Fundamental Agreement, the Jerusalem Municipality has threatened to take action against Saint Louis for nonpayment of taxes, and the Ministry of Finance has demanded tax payment from Saint Joseph, threatening the closure of both hospitals.

In parallel moves, in 1999 the government abrogated an agreement with four humanitarian organizations, including Catholic Relief Services, and it has taken action to enforce taxes on the Mennonite Central Committee and the Lutheran World Federation. The Lutherans run Augusta Victoria Hospital on Mount Scopus, a major health care facility, also in Arab East Jerusalem.

“Treaties must be honored” (pacta sunt servanda) is among the most elementary principles of international law. What, then, we ask, does Israel’s appalling pattern of noncompliance reveal about its attitude to the Christian presence in Israel? If the Fundamental Agreement is not recognized as binding, what is the government’s true policy toward the Catholic Church? If Israel cannot be relied upon to honor the Fundamental Agreement, which of its promises, if any, can be trusted?

The two sides resume negotiation on Feb. 15. Israel could demonstrate its good faith by announcing in open session plans to implement the decade-old treaty.

Sharm el-Sheikh summit, a positive and encouraging step, says Nuncio in Jerusalem 8 February, 2005 ISRAEL – PALESTINE – HOLY LAND, Jerusalem (AsiaNews)

8 February, 2005 ISRAEL – PALESTINE – HOLY LAND Sharm el-Sheikh summit, a positive and encouraging step, says Nuncio in Jerusalem

Mgr Sambi recalls the Pope’s prayers for peace in the Middle East. His sufferings are offered as a blessing for the two peoples.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – Today’s meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is a positive step in the direction towards peace, said Mgr Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio in Jerusalem, speaking to AsiaNews.

In the meeting hosted by Egyptian Hosni Mubarak and attended by Jordanian King Abdullah, Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to a ceasefire and committed themselves to stop all violence directed at the other. Mr Sharon also pledged to free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners currently detained in Israeli prisons.

Mgr Sambi found the summit encouraging; he stressed that “the atmosphere in the region is changing”; violence is no longer acceptable, he said, and dialogue is increasingly seen as the path to peace.

The Sharm el-Sheikh meeting is thus “encouraging for it is rebuilding trust between the two parties”. Now it is up to the “international community and world leaders to support this process.”

The Nuncio added that what is happening is also in part due to the Pope’s prayers. “For hundreds of times, John Paul II added his voice, calling for peace in the Holy Land, emphasising that human and ethical values that can lead to peace, a peace that cannot exist without justice”.

According to Mgr Sambi, the Pope’s “sufferings are offered to gain God’s blessing on the two peoples and their leaders, so that they may have the courage needed to achieve peace” in the Holy Land, which remains “a constant concern for the Pope,” he said.

“The path is long and climbing,” Mgr Sambi said, “but every journey begins with one step, and the step made today is positive and in the right direction”. (LF)