BETHLEHEM, West Bank: Pope Benedict XVI reiterated his call yesterday for a sovereign Palestinian state and lamented Israel’s wall that towered over his first trip to the West Bank.
The pontiff also told thousands of people at an open-air gathering in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem that he prayed for a lifting of the embargo Israel has imposed on the Gaza Strip.
“The Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors, within internationally recognized borders,” he said. He appealed to young people living in the Palestinian territories not to “allow the loss of life and the destruction that you have witnessed to arouse bitterness or resentment in your hearts. “Have the courage to resist any temptation you may feel to resort to acts of violence or terrorism. Instead, let what you have experienced renew your determination to build peace,” he said.
The pope reached out to residents of the Aida refugee camp who live in the shadow of the eight-meter-high wall that surrounds part of Bethlehem, forming part of the controversial West Bank barrier Israel says is essential to its security but which Palestinians see as a symbol of an “apartheid” regime. “Towering over us ... is a stark reminder of the stalemate that relations between Israelis and Palestinians seem to have reached — the wall,” Benedict said, speaking from the courtyard of a school just a stone’s throw from the steel and concrete barrier.
“In a world where more and more borders are being opened up — to trade, to travel, to movement of peoples, to cultural exchanges — it is tragic to see walls still being erected.” The pontiff told the refugees his heart went out to those whose families are divided by detention and restrictions on freedom of movement, a clear reference to Israeli military control of the West Bank.
“It is understandable that you often feel frustrated. Your legitimate aspirations for permanent homes, for an independent Palestinian state, remain unfulfilled.” Wrapping up his visit to Bethlehem, he told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas he was deeply moved by the testimonies he had heard. “With anguish, I have witnessed the situation of refugees who have had to flee their homes.
“And I have seen, adjoining the camp and overshadowing much of Bethlehem, the wall that intrudes into your territories, separating neighbors and dividing families.
“Although walls can easily be built, we all know that they do not last forever,” he said. “They can be taken down.”
The 82-year-old pontiff said he was praying for an imminent lifting of the crippling blockade that Israel imposed on Gaza.
— With input from agencies
