Pope Francis met with Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Monday and he gave a brief speech afterwards.
This is the key paragraph, which was clearly carefully wordsmithed:
Our meeting allows me to renew my closeness to all those suffering from the conflicts that for decades have beset the Holy Land. The uncertainty of the situation and the lack of understanding between the parties continue to create insecurity, the restriction of fundamental rights, and the flight of many people from their land. I invoke God’s help in this, and I ask all those involved to intensify their efforts to achieve a stable peace based on justice and recognition of the rights of all. To this end, any kind of violence, discrimination or displays of intolerance against Jewish, Christian and Muslim worshipers, or places of worship, must be firmly rejected. The Holy City, whose Status Quo must be defended and preserved, ought to be a place where all can live together peaceably; otherwise, the endless spiral of suffering will continue for all.
He is using the language of the anti-Israel crowd – emphasizing “fundamental rights” and “justice,” the keywords that the haters misuse to the point of parody – but the people he is speaking about as victims of injustice are specifically the Christians under Palestinian rule! No one else is fleeing from their land out of fear.
Unfortunately, any such intended rebuke will go unnoticed or ignored. Arab media is reporting his speech as a straight criticism of Israel. His use of the words “justice” and “rights” will (ironically) hearten the Israel haters.
But there was a criticism of the Muslims who have forced hundred of thousands of Christians to flee the West Bank since 1948. It is too bad that this – one of the major stories out of the Holy Land of the past 70 years – will continue to go virtually unreported.
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