Bethlehem (Agenzia Fides) – The military occupation for fifty years on the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza violated “the human dignity of both Palestinians and Israelis”. And now all the people responsible are called to oppose the construction of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, that represents a “de facto annexation” and “endangers the chances of peace”. These are some of the key steps contained in the final message issued by the Bishops from Europe, USA, Canada and South Africa, belonging to the “Holy Land Coordination”, at the end of their traditional visit of solidarity with the Christian communities of the Holy Land, that this year was held from January 14 to 19 in Gaza, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Hebron and Bethlehem.
The final communiqué, signed by 12 Bishops who took part in the pilgrimage this year, also refers to the suffering of Gaza, “which continues to live in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe created by man himself, where the population spent a whole decade under siege, compounded by a political stalemate caused by a lack of good will of all parties involved”. The Bishop signatories of the document indicate the path of “nonviolent resistance” as a method to address “the injustices such as the incessant construction of the separation wall on Palestinian land, including the Cremisan Valley”.
Source: Agenzia Fides
