JERUSALEM: July 27, 2014 --Fr Andrew Wong arrived in
Jerusalem on Monday last to take up his role as Rector of
the Ratisbonne community. Fr Ivo Coelho, former Rector, now
Salesian Councillor for Formation, was not so lucky - his
flight was caught up in the temporary embargo my many
airlines refusing to fly into Tel Aviv. It is 'holiday'
period there for students from Ratisbonne, who include at
least half a dozen from our EAO Region. Most will be away.
For Fr Wong, the situation
must be reminiscent of another conflict zone he found
himself in back in 1999, in East Timor. For Fr Gianni
Caputa, long-time member of MOR and witness to many years of
difficult Israeli-Palestine, even Israeli-Holy See
relations, "the situation here is really depressing"! The
former set of relations are almost all about conflict, the
latter, an attempt to take the 'Fundamental Accord' signed
in 1993 to another level which would deal with property, tax
and other issues complicated over a very long history, which
includes the Ottoman Empire and the British Mandate. The
original Vatican plan for an 'international city' , and then
the UN 1997 resolution, seem long-shelved.
As they say, history often depends on when you set your
clock ticking - with the last 'device' to fall on either
side of the Gaza-Israel border or long before. It might help
to go back at least 67 years ...
Main events in the last 67 years:
1947-2014 (simplified, updated to July 2014)
1947, 29.11:UN resolution no. 181/II:
Holy Land (Palestine) partition [see map above] Population:
500,000 Jews 1,200,000 Palestinian Arabs Land division:
a) 54% State of
Israel
b) 45% State of Palestine
c) Jerusalem and Bethlehem = corpus separatum under the UN Inhabitants:
a) in the
State of Israel
498,000 Jews
497,000
Palestinians
b) in the Palestinian State
10,000 Jews
725,000 Palestinians
(Muslims, Christians) c) in “greater Jerusalem”:
100,000 Jews,
40,000 Muslims 30,000 Christians; d)
Bethlehem:
6,000 Christians
2,000 Muslims.
Jews (except Irgùn and Stern) accept the UN
resolution (but not the “corpus separatum”), Palestinians
reject it. Arab Countries suggested a Confederate State with
two governments. The Holy See remains neutral: cf BIALER Uri,
Cross on the Star of David.
1948:- 14.05 date of birth of the
State of Israel.
Fundamental Law: “Complete equality of all citizens, no
religious, racial or sexual distinction … freedom of
religion, of conscience, education and culture”
-
war between Arabs & Jews … ended with the ceasefire of May
1949. Results:
- Israelis
gained 77% of the territory + 50% of Jerusalem (West)
-
Palestinians: 800,000 refugees (internal & external), only
22% of land = West Bank + East Jerusalem, but these
territories now came under the administration of the King of
Jordan. The Gaza Strip passed to Egyptian
administration.
On Mt Zion: the Domition Abbey ... - Apostolic delegation
(Jer., Palest., Jordan, Israel, Cyprus) demolished and land
occupied ... (see BIALER) 1964: the P.L.O. is
established (Yasser Arafat and Abu Mazen, among the
founders)
Pope Paul VI visits the Holy Land, in the framework of Vatican
II 1967: SIX DAY WAR:
- Israel annexes the Syrian Golan Heights and East Jerusalem;
it occupies and administers West Bank, Gaza and Sinai
- Palestinian refugees = 1,370,000 (registered
…)
1973: Yom Kippur:War:
Egypt takes back the Sinai Peninsula. 1979: Camp David
Agreement (USA): peace between Egypt and Israel
- President
Anwar as-Sadat is assassinated by Egyptian fundamentalists 1981: Israel occupies South
Lebanon, the so-called “Fatah Land” … (until
1999) 1987: beginning of the
first “Intifadah” = popular Palestinian uprising
against Israeli occupation.
- “Hamas” is established 1988: the PLO accepts
the 1947 UN resolution: it is satisfied with 23% of
the land; declares the independence of Palestine; recognizes
Israel and asks withdrawal from occupied territories. 1991: “Gulf war” in
Iraq: Saddam Hussein’s missiles hit Israel 28
times …
Madrid Peace Conference: mutual recognition between Israel-PLO
(the sole legitimate representative of Palestinians, also at
the UN). Beginning of peace negotiations . 1993: Oslo Agreement.
Transfer of territories to the Palestinian National Authority
(A,B,C)
- 30.12.93: “Fundamental Agreement” between the Holy See and
the State of Israel 1995: - Peace between
Jordan – Israel
-
Assassination of P.M. Izhak Rabin by an Israeli right-wing
extremist 1997: 24/25.04: the UN
Gen. Assembly condemns Israel for annexing Palestinian
territories and asks that Jerusalem be put under “special
statutes with international guarantee”
1997: Holy See & Israel sign the Legal Personality
Agreement (never ratified by the Knesset) 1998: Jordan’s King
Hussein renounces rights over the West Bank, except Mosques 1999: Holy See and
Israel start negotiating the “Economic Agreement” 2000: 15.01:
“Basic Agreement” between the Holy See and PLO
- March: pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II to Jordan, Palestine
and Israel
- July: failure of negotiations between Barak–Arafat on the
final status (right to return for Palestinian refugees;
Palestinian rule on Muslim holy places in Jerusalem, …)
- October:
Ariel Sharon violates the holiest Islamic area (Dome of the
Rock, Al Aksa Mosque).
- Reaction: Palestinian second Intifadah, suicide bombers …
Israeli answer: reoccupation of Palestinian territories;
“political assassinations” 2002: a) Sharon’s
government policy: suspension of the peace treatise;
unilateral decisions on the “final status” –
Construction of the “security wall” (on Palestinian
territory)
b) US
administration: “Road Map” towards a “two state solution” 2003: USA & allies
invade Iraq … 2005 August: Israeli
army & settlers withdraw from Gaza (and from some
“outposts” in the West Bank). 2006: - 25.01Hamas wins the
Palestinian election (74/132 seats). Israel, USA, EU
boycott
-
28.03: “Kadima” wins the Israeli election
-12.07
– 14.08: war in Galilee-Lebanon between Israel and
“Hezbollah”. 2007: inter-Palestinian
fight: Hamas ousts Fatah from Gaza. – US supports Fatah (Abu
Mazen) 2008: peace-talks
between Israel – Palestine; informal talks Israel – Syria . –
Fouad Tuwal new Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Dec. 2008 – January 2009:
War in Gaza. Blockade … May 2009: Pope
Benedict XVI visits Jordan, Israel, Palestinian A.T. 2010: Israel’s
aggressive actions: execution of Hamas leader using fake
Passports; humiliation of Turkish ambassador …;“Gaza flotilla”
(30 May); failure of peace-talks at Washington and at
Sharm-el-Sheikh (September); new Jewish settlements …; new law
demanding pledge of allegiance to “Israel as a Jewish
State”. End 2010-beginning 2011:
some Countries recognize Palestine as an independent Nation: January – February 2011:
“Arab spring” = upheaval in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya,
Syria … 18 February 2011: USA
vetos a resolution of the Security Council (backed by 130
Countries) condemning the continuing Israeli settlements on
occupied Palestinian Land. 11 April 2011: the new
Egyptian rulers reopen the border crossing to Gaza 1 May 2011: Bin Laden
is killed. Hamas protests. Fatah approves. Israel rejoices. 4 May 2011: in Cairo
Fatah & Hamas sign a reconciliation agreement 2 September 2011:
Turkey expels Israeli diplomats over the “Gaza flotilla”
incident September 2011:
lobbying for the UN recognition of Palestine as a fully
independent State October – Nov 2012:
Israel Foreign minister threatens to topple Palestinian Prime
Minister if he goes on with the bid at the UN 14 – 21 Nov 2012: war
between Hamas and Israel over Gaza 29 Nov 2012: UN
recognizes Palestine as a non-member observer State. In
retaliation, Israeli Government decides on the construction of
3,000 new housing units in Palestinian occupied territory. 6 Dec 2012: King
Abdullah II of Jordan visits Ramallah; 7 Dec 2012: Khaled
Meshal, Hamas leader, pays visit to Gaza after 40 years. January 2013: Benyamin
Natanyahu wins general election & becomes PM supported by
far right … As of 27.09.2013: 134/193
UN members recognize the “State of Palestine”. End April 2014:
failure of the initiative of John Kerry, US Secretary of
State. Peace process is frozen. Fatah and Hamas form a
government of technicians to prepare general election in 6
months. US and EU react ”Wait and see”. On the contrary,
Ben. Netanyahu vows to disrupt such an attempt. 24-26 May 2014: Pope
Francis visits Jordan, Palestine and Israel. 8 June 2014 at the
Vatican: prayer between S.Peres, Abu Mazen, Pope Francis,
Patriarch Bartholomew. 12 June 2014: three
Israeli young men are kidnapped and killed. Pretext for
Netanyahu … 8 July 2014: a
Palestinian young man is burnt alive. War between Israel &
Hamas over Gaza.
27 July 2014 at the time of writing - a 'humanitarian truce'
has been in place for 12 hours, extended by Israel to 24
hours. Hamas will not accept it .... Palestinian dead, many
women and children, tops 1,000. Israeli dead 42, all but 3
being military personnel.
-----------------
POPULATION OF THE HOLY LAND IN 2010
In Israel = 7.6 million (75% Jews; 21% Arabs; 4.2%
Others; 300,000 live in settlements on the West Bank);
In Palestinian A. = 3.9 million;
In Jerusalem Old City = 36,681 Arabs (18% Christians); 3,847
Jews.
ESTIMATE 2014
State of Israel: 8,146.300 = 6,110,600 Jews (75.3%), 1,686,000
Arabs (20.7%); 160,000 Christians.
State of Palestine: 4,550,368; 50,000 Christians.
Gaza Strip: 1,816,379; 1,500 Christians (130 Roman
Catholic).
-----------------
Further reading - General presentations: Israel; State
of Palestine; Gaza Strip: in Wikipedia 2014.
BIALER Uri, Cross on the
Star of David. The Christian World in Israel’s Foreign
Policy 1948-1967, Bloomington USA 2005;
CHAPMAN C., Di chi è la
terra promessa? Il conflitto arabo-israeliano: alla ricerca
di una soluzione, “Messaggero” Padova 1992.
Forty Christian-Muslim-Jew Experts, Message on Jerusalem, at
the Inter-religious Meeting in Salonika (Greece) 25-29 August
1996, in Origins
03.10.96 p. 249;
HIRSH M., HOUSEN-COURIEL D., LAPIDOTH R., Whiter Jerusalem ? Proposals and
Propositions, The Hague, London, Boston 1995;
HIRST D., Senza pace. Un
secolo di conflitti in Medio Oriente, S.Lazzaro di
Savena (BO) 2004. –
PIERACCINI P., Gerusalemme. Luoghi Santi e Comunità religiose
nella politica internazionale, EDB Bologna 1997. –
PIERACCINI P., Palestina –
Israele. I Luoghi santi e la pace negata, Regno Att.
2002/2, pp. 52-68.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS,
AND LABOR, International Religious Freedom Report 2010. Israel
and Occupied Territories. [Submitted annually to the U.S.
Congress].
STRANSKY Th., A Catholic
views Political Zionism and the State of Israel,
South Orange, New Jersey 1977, and in Teshivah Institute
Papers, 2000 pp. 21-54; WASSERSTEIN B., Divided Jerusalem. The Struggle
for the Holy City, Yale Un.Press 2002.
