Good relations needed

The Israeli siege of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, in which several armed Palestinian militants had sought refuge, took place four years ago. For days the Franciscan men and women religious of the community lived together with the Palestinians in the basilica and its adjoining convent. Moments of sharp tension, punctuated with gunfire, characterised the siege. The standoff was finally resolved without further bloodshed, thanks especially to the mediation of the religious themselves. One of the most widely read dailies in Israel, Hareetz, wrote that “this event had only one victor, not the Israeli army and not even the Palestinian militants, but the Franciscan friars”. The episode is recalled by the Vicar of the Custodianship, the Spanish Father ARTEMIO VITORES , who also reveals a telephone call from John Paul II to the friars confined to the Basilica of the Nativity during the days of the siege. “The telephone conversation lasted three minutes and it was a source of great relief for the friars to know that the Pope was closely following the affair. SirEurope interviewed Father Artemio during a meeting held in Bethlehem on 1st May, with 120 pilgrims of the Italian Federation of Catholic Weeklies (FISC), which is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its foundation in the Holy Land. How much do people in Europe know of the conditions of life of Christians in the Holy Land? “I think it’s generally known that many Christians are emigrating. In Bethlehem alone, Christians formed 47% of the population at the end of the Sixties, whereas today they only form 14%. They are going abroad to seek better living conditions, work, housing and to secure a less precarious future for their families. The Israeli barrier is also creating additional grave problems by separating people from their own work, from the fields they cultivate, from hospitals and schools. The processing of olives, the working of mother of pearl or tourism are no longer enough in this situation. There are Christians here in Bethlehem who haven’t received any wages for five years and our schools, attended by over 2000 adolescents and children, each year register a deficit of approximately a million dollars. And Europe doesn’t help us much with our schools”. What do you mean? “The day before yesterday I found out that the textbooks used in Palestinian schools are financed by the European Union. These textbooks are given gratis to Moslem schools, whereas Christian schools have to pay for them. I think the Union ought to know about this and be aware of the situation”. How do you keep going? “Thanks to the solidarity of many Christians, also Europeans. There are Bishops’ Conferences, like that of Spain, for example, or that of Italy, that are making a huge effort to help us. We have over 800 families that receive from us material aid donated by the European Churches. Great support also comes from pilgrimages, which not only provide us with material aid, but also help to revive tourism and its various spin-offs. They also give our faithful psychological support and strengthen them with their spiritual solidarity. Let’s not forget that Christians here are considered second-class Muslims, traitors, converts. They don’t have any clear identity. I often invite them to visit the holy places in Jerusalem and its environs. But they are afraid: they lack a strong Christian identity and the courage to return to their roots. Just the opposite to Muslims”. If the Churches are continuing to provide support, the EU wishes to freeze its funding to the Hamas government. How do you judge this decision? “It’s damaging to the Palestinian population. I think it’s sensible to cultivate good relations with everyone, and hence also with Hamas. The aim should be to help improve the living conditions of the Palestinians themselves and foster the defence of human rights, in particular the defence of life. With Hamas and with Israel the European Community must insist on this point, respect for life. In the absence of human rights there can be no peace or stability”. What kind of relations do you have with Hamas? “I would say cordial. We are waiting for Hamas to form a government for dialogue”. What role can Europe play in promoting a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? “An important role. For the time being, however, Europe counts only because it gives money. We would like Europe instead to listen more attentively to the pleas being made by this region of the earth”.