Israel’s embassy to the Holy See has issued a stern warning to the Vatican.
It cautions against the use of “linguistic ambiguities” and “parallelisms” that would equate the aggressors in the conflict with its victims.
This warning comes in the wake of a massive and deadly offensive launched by Hamas, which has prompted Israel to declare war.
The conflict, which began with Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel, has led to appeals for peace from various quarters, including Pope Francis and church leaders in the Holy Land.
However, the Israeli embassy is particularly concerned about how this conflict is framed in the public discourse.
“In these circumstances, the use of linguistic ambiguities and terms that allude to a false symmetry should be deplored” the embassy stated.
They emphasised that Israel’s response cannot be described as anything other than the right of legitimate self-defence.
“To suggest parallelisms where they don’t exist isn’t diplomatic pragmatism; it’s just wrong,” the statement continued.
Every war is a defeat
Pope Francis expressed his deep concern during his Sunday Angelus address in St Peter’s Square on 8 October.
“I am following with apprehension and pain what is happening in Israel, where violence has exploded even more ferociously, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries.”
Francis urged both sides to halt the attacks and understand that violence and war offer no solution but only death and suffering.
He stressed, “War is a defeat, every war is always a defeat.”
He is calling on the faithful to join him in praying for peace in Israel and Palestine.
Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of the only Catholic church in Gaza, said ‘Never have we seen things like this time.’
“In the parish we have taken in more than 80 Christians and other Muslim neighbours of our school who have requested accommodation there,” the priest said.
“There are hundreds of dead and thousands of injured among the population” he added.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem called for international intervention.
It urged religious leaders to de-escalate the situation, preserve the status quo in Holy Places and protect the fundamental rights of people in the region.
Tensions between Israel and Palestine have risen following Netanyahu’s re-election and the formation of a far-right coalition.
The patriarchate emphasised the urgent need for a lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and called on world leaders to work towards peace.
Sources