In an unusual move, the Vatican summoned both American and Israeli envoys to express the Holy See’s concern about Israel’s plans to extend its sovereignty to large swathes of the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Vatican said that meetings between the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, US Ambassador Callista Gingrich, and Israeli Ambassador Oren David took place Tuesday.
Reuters news agency reported, citing senior diplomatic sources in the Vatican, that Parolin met the two diplomats separately.
The #EU’s Delay in #Sanctioning #Israel Reflects Its Compromised ‘#Peace Building’ Agenda https://t.co/DQjiSRx4Hm via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/v8Ii5jKM3c
— @palestinechron (@PalestineChron) July 2, 2020
In the meetings, Parolin conveyed “the concern of the Holy See regarding possible unilateral actions that may further jeopardize the search for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the delicate situation in the Middle East”.
In its statement, the Vatican reiterated its support for a two-state solution. “Israel and the State of Palestine have the right to exist and to live in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders,” the statement read in part.
Palestine Chronicle Explains: What You Need to Know about Israel’s Annexation Plan https://t.co/09ZyO6WV5C
— Lorenzo White (@IAmLorenzoWhite) June 30, 2020
The Israeli government has announced its readiness to annex nearly 30% of the occupied Palestinian West Bank and the Jordan Valley, a move that is deemed illegal under international law.
The Israeli government’s decision was largely formulated following the official release of the Donald Trump Administration’s so-called Deal of the Century last January, which allows Israel to seize parts of the occupied Palestinian territories, and grants Palestinians a ‘state’ on the disjointed parts of whatever remains of the West Bank.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
My guess is that the Vatican is NO MATCH at all for these weasel ‘ambassadors’ from Israel and the US. In the end….my guess of course…is that the Vatican will capitulate to whatever they want as long as the Vatican’s sphere of influence in Jerusalem maintains its status quo.