The Holy See has long advocated for Palestinian self-determination and a Two-State Solution as the only viable option to bring security and peace to Israelis and Palestinians.
On 20 August, Israel’s Higher Planning Council gave final approval for 3,753 housing units for its settlement project in the occupied West Bank, including 3,401 in the E1 neighbourhood of Ma’ale Adumim. The project seeks to link settlements and separate the West Bank from East Jerusalem, effectively killing off any hope of a contiguous Palestinian State.
The Bishops of the International Affairs department who lead the Bishops’ Conference’s work on the Holy Land have condemned the move and appealed for the international community to assert pressure to stop further settlement expansion and settler violence.
Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Chair of the Department, and Bishop Jim Curry, Lead Bishop for the Holy Land, said:
“We condemn the decision of the Higher Planning Council that has given its final approval to thousands of new homes in the E1 area – a plan that Israel’s finance minister states will ‘bury the idea of a Palestinian state’ by splitting the West Bank in two. Such action, illegal under international law, denies the Palestinian people their right to self-determination as enshrined in Article 1 of the UN Charter.
“This total disregard for Palestinian self-determination blocks the path to a lasting peace in the region and threatens the safety and dignity of all communities in the Holy Land, not solely the Christians.
“We urge the UK Government and the international community to speak with one voice to oppose further settlement expansion and advocate for a Two-State Solution as the only viable option to bring security and peace to Israelis and Palestinians.
“Pope Leo XIV has called for today, the commemoration of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to be a Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Holy Land, Ukraine, and the world’s conflict zones. We hold in our prayers all parties seeking a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine.”
The Holy See recognised the State of Israel with the ‘Fundamental Agreement’ in 1993; and the State of Palestine through the ‘Comprehensive Agreement’ in 2015.
