Christians in the Holy Land: "Good Decision by the Courts"
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) "With this decision, the State of Israel has shown that it still is a country subject to the Rule of Law, a country where laws and institutions still function. It is a positive sign and I am very glad for it." So says Father Padre Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custodian of the Holy Land, commenting on the decision by Israel's Supreme Court regarding the security wall built in Modiin, North-West of Jerusalem.
The Court has ruled that the wall alignment near Modiin must be changed since it "severely violates the rights of the population and its freedom of movement."
"It is a defensive fence", Father Pizzaballa says. "As such it seeks to reduce freedom of movement of people. The Court's decision seeks to minimise the problems faced by population. None the less, as long as it is there, the wall will always be a problem." "Still", concludes the Custodian, "this decision gives hope for the future since there is at least a chance to debate where the wall will be built."
Despite the fact that construction of the defensive fence on the eastern edges of Jerusalem continues, people can still move freely there since it is not yet completed. "The Court's decision is good news. Let us hope that there may be something like it for us," a French nun working in the area says. "Because of the wall some people may lose their job. The Mount of Olives is in a terrible situation. People already have to go around a wall (built by Israel in 2002) to get to town trespassing on private property. We turn a blind eye and let them through but should we decide to close the door these people could not get to work," the religious emphasised. "The Court ruled on the obvious: The wall limits freedom of movement. Seeing it being built is terrible. As I speak, on our road I can see trucks carrying huge concrete slabs. There are some journalists but nobody else." The French nun adds that the "Modiin decision is a good thing but it should apply to all those places where the wall limits the freedom of movement of people." (LF)
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13/01/2023 19:16
