Bishop Nahra: Trump's plan is the 'first step' to relaunch the Oslo Accords
The vicar to Israel spoke to AsiaNews, expressing hope that peace talks will be given a real chance to stop the carnage in Gaza. Tomorrow, the anniversary of the Hamas attack, prayers will take place to Our Lady of the Rosary on her feast day so that she "supports us on our journey.” For the prelate, unresolved issues remain. “Israelis and Palestinians must show the will to move forward.” The Church's role is to mediate and include.
Milan (AsiaNews) – Hopefully; the ongoing talks in Egypt and US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan are "serious” because "at present, any attempt at a solution is welcome as long as it stops this carnage. Let us pray that everything stops,” said Bishop Rafic Nahra, speaking to AsiaNews about Egypt’s mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel (and the United States) to end the war in Gaza and achieve the release of Israeli hostages.
The Church of the Holy Land “hopes and prays even if the situation remains very difficult,” notes Mgr Nahra, who has served as auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and as Patriarchal Vicar for Israel since 2021. This includes a day of fasting and prayer on 11 October proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV.
Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which claimed more than 1,200 lives and scores of hostages. At least 20 are said to be still alive, held captive in the Strip.
In the wake of the attack, the Jewish state unleashed a brutal war that killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, women and children, leaving the majority of the 2.2 million residents homeless and in the throes of a severe food crisis.
In this context, negotiators acting for Israel and Hamas are expected to meet in Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss the technical and operational details of the White House peace plan, which calls for an end to hostilities and the return of prisoners, even though the timeframe could be delayed by a few days.
According to Bishop Nahra, for talks to achieve the desired results, "both sides must understand and accept" sacrifices, mediation, and compromises.
“For one, many Israelis say that the lives of the hostages are the most important factor," whereas some political leaders in Israel want to “finish things with Hamas, resolve the issue once and for all,” a goal that does not seem “very realistic”.
Conversely, “despite the deaths and destruction, some people still stand with Hamas, which is an ideology" as well as a movement engaged in armed struggle that cannot be eradicated by force.
For the prelate, “The central issue is to stop the war and move beyond this logic, truly seeking a solution,” while, “for the Palestinians, I also hope that the ongoing cycle of violence can be ended, that they will be given the opportunity to build a state, to conclude not a truce but a true peace."
"This is a path to be undertaken looking forward,” Bishop Nahra notes, “but for now, the important thing is to stop the weapons and hope that the opposing extremists on the Israeli and Palestinian sides do not upend the negotiations.”
Hopefully, “there will not be just a truce, because after this war, an end to the conflict is necessary, a real solution must be reached, since a ceasefire is no guarantee of stability and the war could resume, and be even worse.”
Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of the attack that disrupted life in the Holy Land and which caused “so many wounds in hearts that will be very difficult to heal. As Patriarch (Pierbattista) Pizzaballa writes very realistically in his letter, we are getting ready for a difficult journey even if peace were signed today.”
Rebuilding Gaza will be a massive endeavour "on a material, spiritual, and human level.” For Bishop Nahra, “The same is true for Israel, whose society is wounded and internally divided. However, I want to remember that 7 October is also the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, to whom we pray and invoke support and protection on this journey."
Regarding Trump's peace plan, the subject of ongoing discussions, the vicar for Israel views it as a "first step" that, “still leaves many questions unanswered," while the path ahead "is still long”, replete with challenges and pitfalls.
“There is a need to recover, on the one hand, and to rebuild homes and coexistence on the other.” Politically, “we must accept the Oslo Accords, which were formally signed but did not last because there was no will to build true peace and coexistence on both sides.”
“This truce, which comes from outside and is somewhat forced [upon the parties], must be integrated while Israelis and Palestinians must show the will to move forward" to create a new and different context.
In the Holy Land, the Church and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem can make their contribution. Despite being a small seed, they have achieved a lot in recent years in terms of dialogue, mediation, overture towards others, bridge-building, and inclusion.
"We are a small number. Through our words and example, we can demonstrate something different, most notably the will to live together and the ability to engage in dialogue with everyone without excluding others.”
In concluding, the prelate said: “We don't want to talk about politics, because many things have been said but not heard. We want to live our faith, be witnesses of hope, foster dialogue with everyone, do what we can.”
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10/10/2023 15:48
