On Tuesday, January 28, 2020, the U.S. peace plan for the Middle East was released. The United States said to Israel: Continue what you were doing until today, occupation and settlements… We are with you. We affirm that all the land is yours. The Palestinian people located there should remain submitted to your will.

The reality as seen by the United States and Israel needs to be corrected. They need to be reminded of what God’s commandment says to them and to all people: Don’t steal, don’t kill. They have to apply this commandment of God to their positions in this long conflict with the Palestinian people.

The position of the Palestinian people today everyone knows it. The United States, Israel and the world know it. The Palestinian people say: We, the owners of the land, we gave you 78 per cent of our land and told you, “We are satisfied with the remaining 22 per cent where we will have our state, with East Jerusalem, as capital.”

The response of the United States and Israel is: “No, you will not have a state. The whole land is ours. God has given it to us” but they forgot that God also said to them: Don’t steal, don’t kill.

With this attitude contrary to God’s commandment and human laws, the conflict will continue, the strong will grow in their oppression imposed on the weak, hatred will grow, and more blood will be shed. Evil will prevail.

This land was not created for evil, but for the redemption of all humanity. There must be wise men among the powerful of this world to bring it back to its normal nature. They should know that it will not rest except with the attainment of full equality among its peoples, which is possible and ensuring that its entire people can live in peace, friendship, and mutual respect and be submitted to the same law of God. This is possible.

After this U.S. declaration, we see that Europe, including Russia, now has a role to play. It is time. Everyone knows what is right and due to the Palestinian people and to Israel. The doors of hope have been closed by the United States, and they should be open by Europe and Russia. They know what to do. We hope they will have the real courage to work for the salvation of this land, and its two peoples.

We pray and ask God to inspire and heal the hearts of the powerful so that they can turn and believe in the power of justice and equality among all God’s creatures, in this Holy Land.

By: Patriarch Michel Sabbah