‘War Is Not Solution – Pope Sends Message To Israel, Palestine
Weeks after the escalation of the Gaza war, Pope Francis on Wednesday called on Israel and the Palestinians to find a solution at the negotiating table.
This approach has enjoyed broad support for decades but has not progressed despite all international appeals.
Francis strongly advocated for a two-state solution, one state for Israel and one for the Palestinians.
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“Every war is a defeat. Nothing is solved by war. Everything is gained with peace, with dialogue,” the 86-year-old said in an interview on the Italian television channel Rai.
“In war, one slap in the face provokes another. A strong one and then another stronger one, and it goes on.”
However, it is about “two people who must live together.”
There is a “clever solution” for this: “Two peoples, two states. The Oslo Accords state: two well-limited states and Jerusalem with a special status.”
Francis was referring to the Oslo peace process between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which began in 1993.
However, after initial progress, it has not moved forward in over two decades.
At the same time, the Pope condemned any form of anti-Semitism.
