"The situation at present in Lebanon is very difficult, if not critical. It is not possible to make assumptions about what may happen in the future, but we know that the prospects are bleak" said Fr Michel Abboud, president of Caritas Lebanon, speaking to AsiaNews.

The humanitarian organisation is working tirelessly to support thousands of displaced people seeking refuge in its shelters.

The bombing, targeting primarily Hezbollah positions, follows reports that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an airstrike.

The Israeli Defence Forces claim that Nasrallah, along with other senior Hezbollah leaders, was "eliminated" in a strike authorised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after making a speech at the UN.

Fr Abboud noted the widespread panic in Beirut where Israeli airstrikes have continued throughout the night. "People have poured into the streets not knowing where to go, without a shelter to hide in" he said.

Humanitarian toll mounting

Caritas Lebanon has received increasing calls from people seeking shelter at its centres. The organisation, already strained by the current crisis, is struggling to meet the growing demands.

"We have started working for this, as the situation is really complicated" Fr Abboud said. "Caritas staff are already on the ground, organising aid activities, working with the government and humanitarian associations... but it's not easy!"

The humanitarian toll is mounting, with at least 3,000 people killed or wounded in southern Lebanon. Fr Abboud estimates that over 70,000 people have fled their homes.

Caritas is coordinating with international organisations including the World Food Programme to provide aid. "We are working with major donors and the international community to prepare aid and cope with the emergency, but the needs are huge" Fr Abboud said.

Despite these efforts, the organisation is overwhelmed and Fr Abboud is appealing for further international support to continue its mission.

Sources

Asia News

Detroit Catholic

CathNews New Zealand

As a result major Christian denominations, including the Catholic Church, have promised to reopen the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

It had been closed for three days as a protest against the proposed taxation regime.

The church - revered as the site where Jesus was crucified and resurrected - reopened yesterday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said a professional team would negotiate with church officials to "formulate a solution".

Jerusalem's major Christian churches say they are looking forward to engaging with the team.

They hope Jerusalem "remains a place where the three monotheistic faiths may live and thrive together."

Jerusalem's Mayor Nir Barkat says the taxes would affect only commercial properties, not houses of worship.

He said other cities followed similar practices worldwide.

"As the mayor of the city of Jerusalem, my goal and role is to make sure people pay their taxes," he said before the tax plans were suspended.

"We have no negative or bad intentions here."

The churches say Barkat's taxation plans undermine a longstanding status quo.

They say their non-church properties - such as hotels, restaurants and offices - have a religious need, as they provide services to pilgrims and local church members.

Israeli Cabinet Minister Tzachi Hanegbi will lead the government's negotiating committee.

Committee members will include representatives from Jerusalem and the finance, foreign and interior ministries.

"The team will negotiate with the representatives of the churches to resolve the issue," a government statement said.

The Prime Minister's has also asked Hanegbi to look into land sales in Jerusalem, following a request by the heads of major churches.

Until he has reviewed the issue, all pending legislation on land sales will be shelved.

Source

• Crux Now
• Haaretz
• Samoa Observer
• Image: Catholic Bridge

Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking to a group of Christian media professionals at the Christian Media Summit in Jerusalem.

His comments and the event itself reflect the close ties and staunch support for Israel in the evangelical world. Read more

Having just guided legislation through the Knesset ‘legalising' the illegal: settler outposts on private Palestinian land; he has seemingly set in motion an unstoppable movement which, taken to its ultimate conclusion, could deprive Palestinians of every inch of their ancestral land and establish Israel, a state devoid of morality or conscience.

No wonder his President and Attorney General advised against it!

How does one get into the mind of the most extreme right wing figure ever to hold the reins of power in the State of Israel?

Born in 1949 he is the first Israeli Prime Minister to have been born in the State of Israel. Aged 17, in 1967 he fought in the six day war and was involved in many subsequent Israeli military operations.

Clearly this experience has formed the person we see today.

He believes in pre-emptive strikes. He looks upon negotiation as weakness. He understands military force to be the primary mark of the nation's strength. He appears not to trust anyone or rely on anyone.

It appears he uses military force as a political tool and relies upon the inculcation of fear in an ‘existential threat' to gain the support and ongoing loyalty of his citizens for the extreme measures he takes. (see speeches in the lead up to the 2015 Israeli elections).

What are the outcomes?

Peace talks

Peace talks since the 1990's have as their foundation the Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995, based on UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.

These talks set the rough parameters for an eventual settlement of difference, outlined the issues that needed to be resolved and established a tentative timeframe. Netanyahu opposed the Oslo accords from the outset.

While it is true that Palestinians shared misgivings about some of the details, Netanyahu was and remains trenchantly opposed to an outcome which cedes to Palestinians territory which might resemble autonomous statehood. He has said he supports a ‘two-state' solution but refuses to enter talks in good faith that could bring about a just and peaceful solution.

The pro-Israel lobby continually bleats that the Palestinians have been offered peace but have never accepted it. While it is true that Palestinian leadership has let opportunities for progress slip, Netanyahu's attitude to the Oslo Accords makes clear that this accusation is false.

Under Netanyahu's leadership (he will soon become the longest serving Israeli Prime Minister in the nation's history) there has never been open good will shown towards a just outcome.

This situation also makes nonsense of insistence by the Australian government that the only way forward is for the two parties to enter direct negotiation.

How can the Palestinians, conflicted as they are in their own political leadership, negotiate with an oppressor who views negotiation as weakness? Continue reading

• George Browning is President, Australia Palestine Advocacy Network. He was formerly Anglican Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn.