israeli occupation must end, says president of bethlehem university
Published in Cleveland Jewish News.com on 4 November 2006
"Israeli occupation must end, says Arab-Christian leader"
BY: DOUGLAS J. GUTH, Senior Staff Reporter
 Christian Israelis are “caught in the middle of an ancient rivalry,” observed Archbishop Fouad Twal during a City Club of Cleveland forum Oct. 13.
Twal, appointed coadjutor archbishop for the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem by Pope Benedict XVI in Sept. 2005, believes the ancient holy city where he now resides is the epicenter of the bloody, long-standing conflict between Jews and Muslims.
Jerusalem - and by extension, Israel - will be a place of peace only when Israel ends its “occupation” of Palestinian lands, Twal maintains.
Twal knows Jerusalem 's “religious power” firsthand. It is the holiest city in Judaism and in some denominations of Christianity.
Muslims also have a profound attachment to the city. Jerusalem is generally regarded as the third holiest site of Islam. It was the original Qibla (direction of prayer) for Muslims before the prophet Muhammad changed the direction to Mecca .
Israel 's Christians, most of whom are Arab, make up about 2% of the country's population.
“Peace is a test entrusted to humanity by God,” remarked Twal, a Jordanian who is also the president of Bethlehem University . The Middle East is failing that test, he said. Israel , he claims, relies on military might over dialogue, the latter of which Twal views as the only true path to reconciliation.
Both Israelis and Palestinians “must see their rights guaranteed” with dignity and security intact on both sides, Twal continued.
Israel can jumpstart that process by ending its “occupation of Palestinian land,” noted Twal. Israel 's control of part of the region, even in light of last year's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, results in a “never-ending cycle of aggression.”
Echoing the Arab perspective, Twal said Israel must remove all settlements, which he (and much of the Arab world) views as a “symbol of unrest.” The Jewish state must also withdraw to its pre-1967 borders, thereby returning all territories acquired following the Six-Day War.
These actions will set the stage for the most difficult question of all, maintained Twal: what to do with Jerusalem .
Twal urges enactment of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194, originally passed in Dec. 1948 before the end of the Arab-Israeli War.
The resolution consists of 15 articles, including the conditional return of Palestinian refugees to previously occupied territories, demilitarization and UN control over Jerusalem , and free access to the holy city.
Absent from Twal's remarks were any suggestions for what Palestinians must do to maintain peace in the region and to assure Israel 's rights.
Critics of Twal's point of view have said withdrawing to the pre-war frontier and opening Jerusalem would not satisfy radical Islamist groups. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have suggested that they will not end their terrorist campaign even if these conditions were met.
Further, these and other Muslim extremists have said they will not accept the existence of a Jewish state in the Islamic world.
When a City Club audience member brought this last point to Twal's attention, the archbishop argued that Egypt and Jordan already recognize Israel , and the rest of the Arab League is ready to follow suit if the occupation ends. |
