Surprise, Surprise: Pope Denounces Attacks on Israeli Border Towns
YNet reports that Pope Benedict “denounced rocket attacks on Israeli border towns that provoked Israel’s armed retaliation, and appealed in God’s name for Jerusalem to use moderation and for Palestinian authorities to ‘neutralize’ violent forces.”
He said, literally: “The clashes among Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip and the rocket attacks against inhabitants of the nearby Israeli cities, which prompted armed intervention, are provoking a bloody deterioration of the situation. Yet again, in the name of God, I beg that an end be put to this tragic violence, while I desire to express my solid closeness to the hard-put Palestinian and Israeli populations and assure them that I remember them in prayer.”
More: “I appeal to the sense of responsibility of all the Palestinian authorities so that, in dialogue and with firmness, the difficult path toward understanding is undertaken again, neutralizing the violent ones. I invite the Israeli government to moderation and exhort the international community to multiply efforts to favor resumption of negotiations.”
Well: finally a world leader condemns Palestinian violence and speaks out in support of Israel.
7 Responses to “Surprise, Surprise: Pope Denounces Attacks on Israeli Border Towns”
The Pope also condemned the US for Iraq and Israel for Lebanon. The Pope is consistant, I wonder if the Pope condemning Israel was as big a deal?
http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2006/07/15/vatican-condemns-israel-on-attacking-lebanon/?url=http%3A%2F%2Frawstory.com%2Fshowarticle.php%3Fsrc%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fasia.news.yahoo.com%2F060714%2F3%2F2n5ti.html&frame=true
Vatican condemns Israel for attacks on Lebanon
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican on Friday strongly deplored Israel’s strikes on Lebanon, saying they were “an attack” on a sovereign and free nation.
I don’t think the Pope is opposing the Palestinains and supporting Israel in this case. As pointed out in the previous comment, the Pope is denouncing the side that starts the violence, whether it’s a long term thing, or a ‘the most recent incident’ violence.
The Israeli strategy of divide and conquer is working rather well.
Yes Chris, of course its the Israeli’s fault that palestinians are killing each other, and its America’s fault that Iraqis are slaughtering each other as well.
I don’t see why Israel should be condemned at all for merely acting in self-defense. But people like Rudi and Chris are not the ones under constant seige from rockets being fired near their homes and their children’s schools as the residents of Sderot are. So its quite easy for them to sanctimoniously deplore the actions of Israel.
Laura – The Vatican and the Pope condemned Israel for the Lebanon War. The Vatican also condemned Hezbelloh. Does the Pope comments make him an appeaser. What is your take on this? Ynet didn’t acknowlege this story(Google it), yet they cite this.
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=45335
The site is Catholic World News, are they Lefties?
Vatican deplores Israeli attack on Lebanon
Jul. 14, 2006 (CWNews.com) – The Holy See has protested Israel’s air raids on Lebanon, condemning both terrorist acts and reprisals that violate national sovereignty and strike at innocent civilians.
Was there a military act in our lifetimes that the Holy See has ever endorsed?
“The Israeli strategy of divide and conquer is working rather well.”
Almost as well as the arab strategy of kill all the jews and live like its the middle ages.
I think the Pope needs to single out this guy, Pinochet Dahlan.
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m32956&hd=&size=1&l=e