HOLY LAND CUSTODY CALLS FOR U.N. MIDEAST PEACE CONFERENCE, JERUSALEM, JULY 22, 2004 (Zenit.org)

JERUSALEM, JULY 22, 2004 (Zenit.org).- A spokesman of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land called for a U.N. peace conference to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Franciscan Father David Jaeger made this proposal after the U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution on Tuesday calling on the Israeli government to comply with the decision of the International Court of Justice at The Hague to pull down the barrier it has constructed.

"I hope the U.N. will not stop at this resolution but will take the initiative to finally convoke a peace conference, which will help Israelis and Palestinians achieve the U.N. objective of 1947 to create two independent and friendly nations in the Holy Land," Father Jaeger said.

The Holy Land Custody's juridical expert added that the wall of separation "has invaded in several points properties of the Catholic Church, including some in the Mount of Olives, which belong to the Franciscans."

Neither the U.N. resolution nor the international court's decision is binding. Israel says the barrier is needed to protect its people from Palestinian terrorist attacks.

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Christian hunger strikers welcome ruling on Israel's Separation Wall-12/7/04, Ekklesia

The ruling by the International Court of Justice in The Hague Friday, calling Israel’s construction of its “Separation Wall” illegal, was greeted by hunger strikers in a tent on the northern outskirts of Jerusalem with more joy than a full-course meal would have brought.

The group hunger strike, called to bring attention to the humanitarian consequences of the Wall and led by Israeli-Arab Knesset member Doctor Azmi Bishara, began on July 3rd. Israelis, Palestinians and people from around the world, including members of the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), have joined the nonviolent action.

Churches in the US have also called on the US President George Bush to heed the court's ruling.

“It gives us much hope,” Bishara said in reference to the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling. “We are starving here, but we are very hopeful. Now, it’s not just us saying that the Wall is illegal but the ICJ as well.” One of the specific points that the ICJ’s ruling drew attention to was the illegality of Israel constructing parts of its Wall on occupied Palestinian land rather than on its own internationally-recognized territory.

Bishara, one of two Christian members of the Knesset, Israel’s legislature, used the town of A-Ram as the base for his hunger strike for obvious reasons. Most of A-Ram’s 66,000 residents hold Jerusalem I.D.s and work in Jerusalem. Following the completion of the construction of the Wall, most will be denied access to Jerusalem and will therefore lose their livelihoods. The situation in A-Ram is similar to that of many communities throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

“We want to make it clear that this Wall means life and death for Jerusalem and the whole of Palestinian society,” Bishara continued. “We have used all the parliamentary tools and we will continue to use them. But that has not been enough to show the severity of the situation. This is not only about apartheid, separating Israelis from Palestinians. It’s also about annexation of land, separating Palestinians from Palestinians and getting rid of Palestinians. For Palestinian society, the Wall is absolutely destructive because it separates families and destroys economic and cultural life and people’s ability to go to school and work.”

The hunger strike, the same type of nonviolent method used by Mohandas Gandhi over 50 years ago, has been criticized by some as too drastic a measure. Bishara rejected any such notion: “The situation is drastic, but nobody is doing anything. Now, I’m using my position to draw attention to it. The world can’t just overlook the situation anymore; they have to do something as well. And we will not be happy only with a condemnation on the building of the Wall.”

Bishara’s initiative has been supported by people from across Palestinian and Israeli religious and secular society as well as by members of the international community. Others joining in the hunger strike have included: Archimandrite Atallah Hanna, a Palestinian in the Greek Orthodox Church; Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi, chief judge of the Islamic Supreme Sharia’a Court; and Michael Warchawski, an Israeli and Co-chair of the joint Palestinian-Israeli Alternative Information Center. Many members of the Palestinian Legislative Council joined in the hunger strike as well. Also present in the tent, showing their support, were representatives of the Druze community from the Golan Heights, which was annexed by Israel from Syria following the 1967 war.

Members of the EAPPI, whose mission is to accompany Palestinians and Israelis in their nonviolent actions and concerted advocacy efforts to end the occupation, were also present at the tent in A-Ram to show solidarity with the hunger strikers and also to participate in the action. Ecumenical Accompaniers Matt Robson of the United Kingdom, Martin Smedjeback of Sweden and Motlatsi Xhalabile of South Africa participated in the hunger strike for one day to show their support for the effort.

Said Robson: “I lost count of the number of people who came up and thanked me for being here; for joining in the hunger strike; and for showing my opposition to this eight-meter high concrete monstrosity that will change their lives if it is completed. That was all the nourishment I needed.”

The organizers of the hunger strike planned a mass demonstration at the tent following the Friday Muslim noon prayer to coincide with the announcement of the ICJ’s ruling. A large contingent from the EAPPI was present, including two more Accompaniers from South Africa, which is participating in the program for the first time. The South African Accompaniers, Wandile Kuse, an Anglican priest, and Hermina Damons, were particularly well-received as they offer a symbol of what can be achieved in this the 10-year anniversary of the end of apartheid in that country. Kuse and Damons both addressed the gathering.

“In the 1930s, the white people in South Africa took 87% of the land, although they represented just one quarter of the population,” Kuse said. “Now we see some of the same things happening here. We got support from the whole international society. Now it’s your turn to be entitled to the same international support.”

“Much of what we’ve seen here the last two weeks is the same as we experienced in South Africa,” Damons said in her address. “We’re here now to encourage you to continue your struggle for justice.”

The symbolic appeal represented by visitors from South Africa to those struggling against the occupation here is not lost on Kuse or Damons. Said Kuse: “We feel we are bringing a message of hope. This occupation will not last forever, despite evidence to the contrary. There was a time when things looked impossible in South Africa too. But if it (the end of apartheid) happened to us, it could happen to them.”

Added Damons: “We can feel what they are feeling. More than just understanding it, we can feel it.”

The tent is a beehive of activity with a constant flow of people coming in and out. Politicians, muftis, sheiks, priests, relatives and friends, and people from abroad come in to show their support for the hunger strikers. The mood is almost festive, but the difficulty of the demonstration is evident when one of the hunger strikers becomes a bit irritated as he finds a bag of grapes in the tent, inadvertently brought in by someone. No food is allowed in the tent, of course, out of respect for those fasting. Suheil Khader, the deputy mayor of A-Ram, wound up in a hospital after participating in a hunger strike for 16 days in 1981. “We are ready to sacrifice ourselves for peace; for the love between people,” he said. “I am tired but when I speak about the suffering of my people, I forget my own personal suffering. The suffering of the people of Palestine is bigger than the suffering of my empty stomach.”

According to Khader, the real reason for the route the Wall is taking in Jerusalem is to force Palestinians to move and give up their rights as Jerusalem residents. “I can’t afford a ,000 a month apartment in Jerusalem so I’m forced to give up my Jerusalem I.D.,” Khader explains. “This is their (the Israeli government) way to make Palestinians leave Jerusalem.”

Based on Israel’s current plans, when the Wall is completed it will be five times longer than the Berlin Wall was and in some places twice as high. Many nonviolent demonstrations against the Wall’s construction have been held but they have received little attention outside of Palestinian circles, particularly in the West. “We know we have right on our side, but it is not enough in this world,” said Ahmad Ghneim, a member of the high committee of the Fatah political movement. “You also need to find the right tools to express your rights.”

Israel, in arguing against accusations that the real purpose of the Wall is to confiscate rich agricultural land and valuable underground water resources around settlements, has stated repeatedly that the barrier is necessary for security. The example of Gaza, where a fence was constructed, is often cited as proof of the efficacy of the barriers. Bishara turns that argument on its head: “If security is ensured by the fence in Gaza, why is it the most bombarded city in the world? Is this a successful model? Is this what is in store for the West Bank? Just as in Gaza, people will find other ways to resist. You can’t take the land, then the water, and then say, ‘You are behind the Wall, now it’s your problem.’ That will not guarantee security.”

The entire gathering was aware of the decision the ICJ had reached, the news having leaked out the night before. But the official announcement provided hope in a sometimes hopeless situation. That hope was tempered somewhat by the realistic knowledge that Israel had already stated it did not recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction in the matter and that the United States had already given strong indications it would veto any possible action in the United Nations Security Council. With those developments as a backdrop, Bishara said the hunger strike would continue indefinitely with the understanding that many obstacles still remain before the Wall is stopped.

US churches ask Bush to respect court view on Israel's separation wall , Independent Catholic News, WASHINGTON - 12 July 2004

WASHINGTON - 12 July 2004 - 500 words

US churches have appealed to their government to support the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on Israel's separation barrier. The court said on Friday that it is against international law for Israel to build its barrier in the occupied territories and that it should be dismantled. For nearly a year, the US churches that work together through Churches for Middle East Peace have advocated for the United States government's intervention to stop Israel's building of the barrier beyond the 1967 "green line" on occupied land in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem.

Franciscan Sister Florence Deacon, director of Franciscans International (an NGO at the United Nations in New York), noted that Franciscans have had custody of Christianity's traditional Holy Land shrines for 800 years. She appreciated the Court's emphasis on the role of the United Nations in negotiating a just and lasting peace in that land sacred to all the children of Abraham. She said: "For the past 50 years, the United States has been a trusted friend of the state of Israel while also caring about the Palestinian people's welfare, and more recently their political rights. Our government needs to use these historic ties to push both sides toward serious negotiations without further delay."

She urged the United States: "to be a partner with the global community and work within the United Nations' system to bring security to both peoples. We cannot have two sets of standards for upholding international law."

"We are grateful that the humanitarian consequences for the Palestinian people of this massive barrier are no longer being ignored," said Episcopal Bishop Barry Howe of the Diocese of West Missouri. Howe was part of a delegation of bishops who viewed the barrier on a trip to Palestine and Israel in May.

He said "The International Court opinion as well as that of the Israeli Supreme Court ruling on June 30 emphasizes the humanitarian dimension as well as that of the rule of law."

Recognizing that the Israelis argue that they needed the barrier for protection from violent terrorist acts, Bishop Howe continued: "The security that Israel seeks, and deserves, will be found in resolving the conflict through a negotiated solution with all concerned and the establishment of a Palestinian state with peace and security for all in the region."

Dennis Frado, Director of the Lutheran Office for World Community at the United Nations, said: "All Members of the United Nations should respect today's advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice. This is a particularly important principle for all of the parties seeking an end to the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians." Referring to the Lutheran churches' historical involvement with Namibia, he said, "We recall the ICJ's opinion in 1971 that South Africa was illegally occupying Namibia. That dispute unfortunately continued to take too many lives and cause unnecessary hardships on both sides before it was resolved. The religious community is called to redouble our efforts for peace with justice in this region as well."

Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace is a Washington-based program of the Alliance of Baptists, American Friends Service Committee, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Church of the Brethren, Church World Service, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Franciscan Mission Service, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Maryknoll Missioners, Mennonite Central Committee, National Council of Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church (GBCS & GBGM) .

© Independent Catholic News 2004

Contact Independent Catholic News tel/fax: +44 (0)20 7267 3616 or email

Vatican sees "weighty sentence" against Israeli wall , Vatican, Jul. 12 (CWNews.com)

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls has told reporters that the International Court's condemnation of Israel's West Bank security wallis a "weighty sentence".

But Catholic World News reports that he conceded that the court's verdict leaves the future open.

The court said on Friday that it is against international law for Israel to build its barrier in the occupied territories and that it should be dismantled.

"Now we must see what governments do," observed the papal spokesman.

Following the International Court's ruling that Israel should cease construction of the wall, because the structure violated the rights of the Palestinian residents, the UN is expected to take up deliberation on the issue. The Israeli government has announced that it will not accept the court's judgment.

Meanwhile US churches have appealed to their government to support the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on Israel's separation barrier. For nearly a year, the US churches that work together through Churches for Middle East Peace have advocated for the United States government's intervention to stop Israel's building of the barrier beyond the 1967 "green line" on occupied land in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem.

Franciscan Sr Florence Deacon, director of Franciscans International (an NGO at the United Nations in New York), noted that Franciscans have had custody of Christianity's traditional Holy Land shrines for 800 years. She appreciated the Court's emphasis on the role of the United Nations in negotiating a just and lasting peace in that land sacred to all the children of Abraham.

She said: "For the past 50 years, the United States has been a trusted friend of the state of Israel while also caring about the Palestinian people's welfare, and more recently their political rights. Our government needs to use these historic ties to push both sides toward serious negotiations without further delay."

Pictured: Palestinian Catholic Ghassan Handal stands at the Israeli security barrier behind his family home in Bethlehem. Handal told Catholic News Service that the newly constructed wall took his family's land. The barrier was condemned by the International Court of Justice July 9. Father Shawki Baterian, an official with the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, welcomed the court's non-binding ruling, saying that the fence was "increasing hatred between Israelis and Palestinians." (CNS photo by Debbie Hill)

Vatican sees "weighty sentence" against Israeli wall , Vatican, Jul. 12 (CWNews.com)

Vatican, Jul. 12 (CWNews.com) - The condemnation of Israel's security wall on the West Bank, by the International Court at The Hague, is a "weighty sentence," Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told reporters on July 11.

But the papal spokesman conceded that the court's verdict leaves the future open. "Now we must see what governments do," he observed.

Following the International Court's ruling that Israel should cease construction of the wall, because the structure violated the rights of the Palestinian residents, the UN is expected to take up deliberation on the issue. The Israeli government has announced that it will not accept the court's judgment.

RULING AGAINST ISRAELI BARRIER "WEIGHTY," SAYS VATICAN AIDE, Zenit.org, 11 July, 2004, LES COMBES, Italy

LES COMBES, Italy, JULY 11, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro Valls says the ruling of the International Court of Justice against Israel's construction of a security barrier is "weighty."

The world court, headquartered at The Hague, ruled Friday that the Israeli-built barrier, which extends to parts of the West Bank, must be demolished.

At a meeting with journalists today in Les Combes, the Alpine village where John Paul II is vacationing, the spokesman said it was a "weighty ruling, as it was requested by the United Nations."

The director of the Vatican press office sidestepped questions about the Holy See and the Pope's opinions on the ruling, but said: "Now we'll see what the governments do."

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The International Court of Justice in The Hague rules against Wall, AsiaNews.com, 9 July, 2004

Political decisions remain the purview of the United Nations. The Court upholds open access to the Holy Sites. Fr. David Jaeger, Franciscan in the Holy Land, speaks on the matter

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – In exercising its authority, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) affirmed its jurisdiction in the matter and its right to rule on the legality of the wall separating Israel from the Occupied Territories It began outlying the terms of its decision today at 3 p.m.

Begun in 2002, the wall is seen by Israel as a defensive barrier. Israeli officials have pointed out that because of the wall terrorist attacks have dropped by 90% in the last few months. Palestinians retort that the wall is being largely built on occupied land and is making their lives difficult, if not impossible.

The Court’s decision was read by the President, Chinese judge Shi Jiuyong, in a session that lasted two hours. Sources from the European Union as well as Israel and Palestine had already leaked some information, and as the leaks predicted, the Court found the barrier “contrary to international law” and called for its dismantlement. Palestinians whose land was expropriated for building the wall should receive compensation for damages suffered.

Israel’s Justice Minister Yosef Lapid stated that the Jewish State would not accept the decision of the Court. Palestinians instead praise the decision as an “historic victory.”

In order to fully appreciate the significance of the ICJ’s decision, AsiaNews asked Father David Jaeger for his opinion. Father Jaeger is a Franciscan of the Holy Land Custody and a well-known legal scholar and Middle East expert. His views are especially important since Israel has promised to guarantee open access to the Holy Sights under its control.

What is the significance of the ICJ decision?

The Court’s decisions are often a source of a widespread misunderstanding. Such decisions do not come at the end of a trial; they are not verdicts; they are just legal opinions. In the wall case, it is a legal opinion that the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) pursuant to its Statutes and those of the Court. The Court reached an opinion and made it public. Thus, the legal part of the issue is done and over. What is left is the political phase which goes back to the UN.

What impact will the ruling have?

It all depends on what the UN will do or not do. Interestingly, the ICG’s decision came in the wake of that of Israel’s Supreme Court. A few days ago, it ordered its own government to change the alignment of the wall in order to reduce its impact on the lives of the people living on the West Bank.

What changes with the ICJ decision?

The Court did not rule on any dispute between Israel and Palestine. The opinion is not about Israel or Palestine but was made on behalf of the UN. Once the UN makes a decision, that is to say, if it wants to make one, Israel can respond. But the UN can decide not to decide. If it does decide to pass a resolution making demands on Israel, it is possible that it may not demand all that is in the Court’s opinion.

And what is your own opinion?

The Court’s opinion was expected and was no big surprise. What matters to me are the sections about the Holy Sites. The wall’s alignment heavily disrupts movements to and fro the Mount of Olives. The wall cuts across Bethany ((al-Azariyeh, Editor’s Note), especially the Sanctuary of St. Lazarus, just outside of Jerusalem cutting it off from the traditional pilgrims’ route from Jerusalem. This is a problem for the Catholic Church. Many US Congressmen and women, traditionally pro-Israel, have asked several times that the wall alignment be changed in this area. Irrespective of the Court’s or the UN’s decision, I sincerely hope that Israel ponders over where it puts the wall on the Mount of Olives. That way we can keep all sanctuaries and holy sights together.

International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to issue its decision on the Wall tomorrow , AsiaNews.com, 8 July, 2004, Vatican City

Father Malagola, of the Custody of the Holy Land: It’s a permanent hell for and a source of fear for Israelis

Vatican City (AsiaNews) –The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is to rule tomorrow on the legality of the wall Israel is building for security purposes in the Palestinian territories. The ruling comes after the United Nations (U.N.) adopted a resolution on December 8, 2003, sending the issue of Israel's security wall to the ICJ and follows the decision by Israel’s Supreme Court on June 30 requiring the government to change the wall alignment and take into considerations the needs of the Palestinian population.

For Gaza and West Bank residents the present situation is a “permanent hell”, a “lifeless existence”, says Father Marco Malagola, delegate of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Custody of the Holy Land, speaking on Vatican radio about the impact of the barrier on the daily lives of Palestinians.

“Building this wall,” he adds, “can only crush any hope Palestinians have. Far from being a security wall, it simply fuels their sense of hopelessness. We are talking about people who are living in desperation, who see no future for themselves. It doesn’t matter whether it is Gaza, Nablus, Jenin, Hebron. You can’t imagine what it means for people there.”

“It’s a permanent hell, because people live in constant fear. A night doesn’t go by without the loud racket caused by rolling tanks or low-flying planes. It’s war. No one can move from one town to the next. Families are divided. Farmers can’t till their fields.”

Of course, Israelis are also suffering in the Holy Land. “All these suicide bombers who blow themselves up in buses, restaurants, discos engender an enduring sense of fear. However, if I had to say who suffers the most, it is those who live divided and separated under a brutal occupation. There are times when people have to wait for hours at a checkpoint only to be told they can’t cross. It’s a lifeless existence.

If there is anyone who isn’t beating around the bush, that’s the Pope, because he says “No” to the occupation, “No” to the settlements, but “Yes” to a greater compliance of U.N. resolutions. If there is a Gordian knot that needs to be cut it is that of the occupation which oppresses people, takes away their freedom and destroys any hope they might have in the future.”

Israeli court decision a "double-edged sword," Franciscan says , CWNews.com, 1 July, 2004, Jerusalem

Israeli court decision a "double-edged sword," Franciscan says

Jerusalem, Jul. 01 (CWNews.com) - A June 30 decision by the Israeli supreme court, requiring modifications to the Israeli "security fence" running through Palestinian territory, is a "two-edged sword," according to a spokesman for the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

The Israeli court ruled that a 20-mile stretch of the fence should be moved, because building a fence according to the current plans would impose serious hardships on the Palestinian residents of the region, in villages northwest of Jerusalem. The court declared that in building the security fence-- which runs for over 400 miles through the West Bank-- the Israeli military must balance security concerns against the legitimate needs of Palestinian residents.

Father David Jaeger told a Vatican Radio audience that the court decision was a setback for the Israeli military, insofar as the three-judge tribunal unanimously agreed that the current plans for the wall are not the only possible means of assuring security for Israel. On the other hand, the court upheld the right of the Israeli government to build the wall, and to seize Palestinian territory for that purpose.

On balance, Father Jaeger argued, the court's decision might be a setback for the rights of Palestinians. "It is precisely by delegimatizing a part of the path of the mar that the court might help the government ward off internal crises," he said.

Catholic leaders in the Holy Land, joined by Pope John Paul II (bio - news), have strongl supported Palestinian criticism of the Israeli security wall. The barrier-- which includes barbed wire, trenches, and 20-foot concrete walls in some locations-- cuts through several Palestinian villages, and separates many residents from their neighbors, lands, and workplaces. Father Jaeger noted that "the wall blocks farmers from their fields, children from their schools, employees from their jobs, and patients from their hospitals." Moreover, he said, the barrier "severs the social life and social fabric of entire communities."

While the Israeli court's June 30 decision will alleviate the distress for some Palestinians living near Jerusalem, the overall complaint remains. The international court at The Hague is scheduled to hear a complaint brought by Palestinians against the construction of the wall on July 9. The issue could also be brought up for debate at the UN.

Father Jaeger pointed out that the construction of the wall would also impede the access of Christian pilgrims to many of the shrines in the Holy Land. The "security fence" would divide the Mount of Olives, for example. The tomb of Lazarus, and the home of Martha and Mary at Bethany, would on the other side of the wall, inaccessible from Jerusalem.