Pope Francis made a statement Thursday that the Catholic Church would not accept a Middle East that is devoid of Christians.
The Pope told reporters after a meeting with patriarchs in Syria, Iran and Iraq the church would not resign itself to a Christian-free Middle East. The Pope called for “the universal right to lead a dignified life and freely practice one’s own faith to be respected.”
“Syria, Iraq, Egypt and other areas of the Holy Land sometimes overflow with tears,” The Pope said.
The number of Christians in the Middle East continues to dwindle through oppression and civil war. Christians are just 10% of the Egyptian population, 5% in Syria, 2% in Iraq and 1.2% in Palestinian territories.
The Vatican said the population of Christians in the region has shrunk more than half since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his housing minister to take a second look at plans to build more than 20,000 new homes in the West Bank.
Netanyahu said the move would create an unnecessary confrontation with the international community at the same time the Israeli government is asking the west to not make a deal easing sanctions on Iran.
The Palestinians said they would appeal any construction by the Israelis to the U.N. and that they would immediately end peace talks.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last week said any settlement activity by Israel would be “illegitimate” and state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S. would be seeking further explanation from the Israelis on the construction issue.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with leaders of Israel and Palestine Wednesday in attempts to move peace talks through stumbling blocks.
However, sources close to the negotiations say that both sides have brought up new issues that could possibly derail the talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed concerns to Kerry.
“I’m concerned about their progress because I see the Palestinians continuing with incitements, continuing to create artificial crises, continuing to avoid and run away from the historic decisions that are needed to make a genuine peace,” Netanyahu said.
The Palestinians objected to new Israeli construction on the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Kerry also announced $75 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority’s High Impact Micro-Infrastructure Initiative.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Israel and plans to meet with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an attempt to restart the stalled peace talks.
“I come here without any illusions about the difficulties, but I come here determined to work,” Kerry told reporters.
The talks have shown little signs of progress and Kerry is denying speculation that he is proposing a new interim peace deal. Kerry is expected to continue to push the Obama administration’s “two state” solution for the region.
Kerry will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Wednesday.
Israel is demanding that any peace deal include Palestinian acknowledgement of Israel as a Jewish state.
Hamas held press conference Monday to condemn the peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis.
“We renew our rejection of these futile talks, and consider them purely a means for (Israel) to look good to the international community,” Hamas officials Mahmoud al-Zahar said. “We call on the Palestinian people to unite in confronting the crime that is the peace talks.” Continue reading →
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to reporters after an initial meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators and said that two sides will try to reach a “final status” agreement over the next nine months.
Kerry said that formal negotiations between the two sides would begin in the next two weeks either in Israel or the Palestinian territories. He also said that “all issues” would be up for discussion. Continue reading →
The U.S. State Department released a statement Sunday that said peace talks between Israel and Palestine will renew starting Monday in Washington.
The talks had been stalled since 2010. Continue reading →
The possibility of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks seems less likely after the Facebook page of the Palestinian president’s political party praised a terrorist convicted of killing 61. Continue reading →
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that he will hold a national referendum on any peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu said the decision on a peace agreement was too important to leave to the government. Israel has never held a single-issue referendum in its 65-year-history and cannot happen without legislation in the Knesset. Continue reading →
In a major sign that the European Union is going to vacate a position of neutrality and side with Palestine in their ongoing campaign against Israel, the EU has issued new guidelines that starting in 2014 banning any funding of Israeli projects in disputed territories.
EU members will be banned from any Israeli project in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Continue reading →
