Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, responds to the interview request with a somber face and warns that he does not have much time. An unexpected outbreak of war violence between Israel And Hamas it broke again The fragile balances of religious coexistence It operates in Israel and Palestine, and one of its main activities now is trying to keep the approximately 280,000 Christians living there safe. This juggling act is not always easy, as the vast majority of Christians are Palestinian, and Christians have been at odds with Israeli authorities over several incidents of harassment and attacks against that community by settlers in recent months. “Yes, but this is not the time to argue,” this religious man, who has lived in the area since 1990 and recently, warns in this interview. Named a cardinal by the PopeEmphasizing that the most important thing right now is “the guns remain silent”, he continued as follows:
What is the situation of Christians now? Were there any deaths after the Hamas attack? Are there any Christians kidnapped?
The local Christian community is doing well, but some foreign workers, at least five Filipinos, have died. We lost track of two other people who were probably kidnapped. They worked in kibbutzim where there were massacres. But we don’t know more or why [los habrían secuestrado]. There is a lot of confusion.
A small Christian community lives in Gaza. Do you know how and where they are?
The number of Christians in Gaza is around 1000, mostly Orthodox, but there are also about 150 Catholics. Of these, approximately 50 families are currently in the Latin community complex [de la Sagrada Familia] There is also a school here. Others are scattered around, they cannot move because there is a complete siege right now, a complete curfew. They were sold.
Most Christians are Palestinians, right?
Yes, about 130,000 people live in Israel and about 45,000 live in Palestine. These are facilities. We must add another 100,000 immigrant population to this figure.
And are churches still open?
Yes.
In its statement following the Hamas attack, Israel’s embassy in the Vatican accused the Jerusalem patriarchs of having an “ambiguous” stance.
It was probably a mistake to make a statement so quickly when we were not yet fully aware of the atrocities being committed. [por Hamás]. However, the Palestinians were also very angry with us, they thought we were too biased in favor of Israel. What I want to say is this; This is not the time to debate, but I also think we need to be clearer in condemning Hamas, there is no justification for what they are doing.
You’ve been here since the 90s, have you ever seen the extreme violence of these days?
No never. And I never thought we would see the same violence that Syria or Iraq experienced.
It’s a very complex question: How did we get here?
It is difficult to answer because there are many reasons that led to the current situation. First of all, it must be said that the Palestinian people have been waiting for an answer for 70 years. This answer has not yet arrived and the population [palestina] They live in very poor conditions, both socially and economically. In addition, religious fundamentalism is growing and there is a lot of shortsightedness on Israel’s part in not fully giving the Palestinian people the perspectives they deserve. There are many other international reasons as well.
What do you see on the street right now?
I see deep hatred, mistrust, and fear perceived in every moment of daily life, even while shopping or driving. You perceive this deep hatred, this distrust, this mutual fear between Israelis and Palestinians, that’s what determines everything right now.
In the weeks and months leading up to this war, Christian community leaders warned that attacks by Israeli settlers would continue. Do you fear that this war will further radicalize such fundamentalism?
Unfortunately, the risk of this occurring on both sides, including Arab or Jewish hunting, exists and is very high. Yes, unfortunately this is a danger that exists.
Can it affect Christians?
As I said, most Christians are Arabs.
What is your biggest concern?
Afterwards, it will be necessary to rebuild what was destroyed; More than materially, these relations have been damaged very clearly.
What can the international community do?
Help relieve tension whenever possible.
What about the Pope?
Same, but margins are very limited. What we can do is try to keep the dialogue open, talk to different diplomatic and political authorities and reason with them.
Have there been any attempts to open a communication channel with the parties involved in the conflict?
I can’t answer that.