Sir, – We recently returned from the Holy Land as part of a delegation of international bishops. What we saw affected us deeply. We witnessed the tragic consequences of the failure of the repeated efforts of politicians to advance peace. The ongoing conflict assaults the dignity of both Palestinians and Israelis, but in a particular way our commitment to the poor calls us to lift up the suffering people in Gaza. The conditions in which people in Gaza are living are an assault on human dignity. Tens of thousands of families lack adequate shelter or means to feed their children. In the latest freezing weather, at least two infants died of exposure. The continuing blockade means rebuilding within a reasonable time-period will be impossible, and creates intolerable levels of unemployment, pushing people into deeper poverty and contributing to desperation that further undermines Israelis’ legitimate hope for security. And yet in the midst of this devastation hope somehow remains. This is evident in the work of volunteers who are helping people to rebuild their lives. We had the opportunity to visit Trócaire projects in both Gaza and the West Bank.
We take this opportunity to thank people in Ireland for their ongoing and generous support for these projects. In the coming months we will continue to oppose the building of the proposed wall in the Cremisan Valley that would result in the loss of the lands and livelihoods of many families. We will also continue to oppose expansion of the settlement programme, illegal under international law, examples of which we witnessed acutely in Hebron. Its impact on the freedom of movement of Palestinians and the confiscation of lands is simply unjust.
We urge public officials to be creative, to take new approaches, to build bridges, not walls.
We must humanise the conflict by fostering more interaction between Israelis and Palestinians. People on both sides of the conflict want the same thing – a dignified life worthy of the human person. Peace will only come when all parties respect the fact that the Holy Land is sacred to three faiths and home to two peoples. – Yours, etc,
KIERAN O’REILLY,
Archbishop-elect of
the Archdiocese
of Cashel and Emly;
RAY BROWNE,
Bishop of Kerry;
Trócaire,
Maynooth, Co Kildare.