Vatican City, 25 July 2014 (VIS) –
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See permanent observer at the
United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, spoke
at the 21st Special Session of the Human Rights Council dedicated to
the question of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
including East Jerusalem, which took place on 23 July.
“As the number of people killed,
wounded, uprooted from their homes, continues to increase in the
conflict between Israel and some Palestinian groups, particularly in
the Gaza Strip, the voice of reason seems submerged by the blast of
arms. Violence will lead nowhere either now or in the future. The
perpetration of injustices and the violation of human rights,
especially the right to life and to live in peace and security, sow
fresh seeds of hatred and resentment. A culture of violence is being
consolidated, the fruits of which are destruction and death. In the
long run, there can be no winners in the current tragedy, only more
suffering. Most of the victims are civilians, who by international
humanitarian law, should be protected. The United Nations estimates
that approximately seventy percent of Palestinians killed have been
innocent civilians. This is just as intolerable as the rockets
missiles directed indiscriminately toward civilian targets in Israel.
Consciences are paralysed by a climate of protracted violence, which
seeks to impose solution through the annihilation of the other.
Demonising others, however, does not eliminate their rights. Instead,
the way to the future lies in recognising our common humanity”.
The archbishop mentioned that in his
pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Pope Francis demanded that the present
unacceptable situation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be brought
to an end. “The time has come for everyone to find the courage to
be generous and creative in the service of the common good, the
courage to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgement by all of
the right of two States to exist and to live in peace and security
within internationally recognised borders”.
“The legitimate aspiration to
security, on one side, and to decent living conditions, on the other,
with access to the normal means of existence like medicines, water
and jobs, for example, reflects a fundamental human right, without
which peace is very difficult to preserve. The worsening situation in
Gaza is an incessant reminder of the necessity to arrive at a
cease-fire immediately and to start negotiating a lasting peace.
'Peace will bring countless benefits for the peoples of this region
and for the world as a whole', adds Pope Francis, 'and so it must
resolutely be pursued, even if each side has to make certain
sacrifices'. It becomes a responsibility of the international
community to engage in earnest in the pursuit of peace and to help
the parties in this horrible conflict reach some understanding in
order to stop the violence and look to the future with mutual trust”.
“The media should report in a fair
and unbiased manner the tragedy of all who are suffering because of
the conflict, in order to facilitate the development of an impartial
dialogue that acknowledges the rights of everyone, respects the just
concerns of the international community, and benefits from the
solidarity of the international community in supporting a serious
effort to attain peace. With an eye to the future, the vicious circle
of retribution and retaliation must cease. With violence, men and
women will continue to live as enemies and adversaries, but with
peace they can live as brothers and sisters”.
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