In the Middle East, conflict isn't primarily about religious differences, but rather the brutal dominance of one group over another, according to Leila Sansour.
Gaza Church Strike Condemned by Catholic Leadership and International Community
In a shocking turn of events, a Catholic church in Gaza was hit by a shell fired by an Israeli tank on July 17, 2021. The Holy Family Compound, Gaza’s only Catholic church, was sheltering about 600 displaced people, including many children and those with special needs, at the time of the strike.
The attack resulted in the tragic loss of three lives and left the parish priest, Gabriel Romanelli, injured. The incident has been met with strong condemnation from various quarters, including the Catholic leadership and international community.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who is closely associated with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees Catholics in the region, did not characterize the strike as accidental. Instead, the Patriarchate "strongly condemned this strike and this targeting of innocent civilians," describing it as a serious act.
The Israeli military expressed "deep sorrow" over the damage and civilian casualties and stated they were investigating the incident. However, neither the Cardinal nor the Patriarchate labeled the strike as accidental; rather, their official statements emphasize condemnation of the strike and its impact on civilians.
Pope Leo XIV also condemned the strike and called for a ceasefire. France and Italy deemed the strike unacceptable, and even U.S. President Donald Trump expressed grave concern. Cardinal Pizzaballa and Theophilos III, the Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, were allowed to visit the damaged church two days after the strike, bringing humanitarian aid and messages of solidarity.
The speaker, a Christian Palestinian from Bethlehem, believes that Christian and Muslim Palestinians share the same land, fate, and thirst for freedom. The speaker's family has lived in Bethlehem for centuries, and they identify as a Palestinian. They believe that the idea that Christians are different from Muslim Palestinians is a fiction, and they suggest that the Israeli narratives are muddled and reductive.
The Christian population of Gaza now numbers less than a thousand, a remnant of one of Christianity's oldest communities. The speaker believes that Christian and Muslim Palestinians suffer together and that they are one people. Israel is accused of trying to sell this fiction for decades.
The church was not just a sacred place, but also a refuge in a besieged city. The speaker believes that the attack on the church was a grave violation of human rights and international law, and they call for an end to the ongoing conflict and a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
- The incident at the Holy Family Compound, a war-and-conflicts news, has garnered strong criticism from both politics and the general news world, with the Catholic leadership and international community condemning the attack on Gaza's only Catholic church.
- The ongoing conflict in Gaza, a topic of general news, has prompted the Christian speaker from Bethlehem to view the attack on the church as a violation of human rights and international law, calling for a peaceful resolution, and questioning the Israeli narratives that portray Christians as separate from Muslim Palestinians.
