The situation in the Middle East
Father Ibrahim, it has been a year since Hamas' attack on Israel and the beginning of the war that has devastated Gaza. Did you expect such a long and devastating war?
The tragic attack of October 7, 2023, unleashed a spiral of violence that still envelops the Holy Land today. In Gaza, the numbers of dead and wounded, the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, churches and mosques have soared, and a year later they do not stop: it is a continuous war bulletin that is shockingly updated by the hour. Never would I have imagined that the war would last so long, but what worries me most is its extension to an ever larger area of the region. The war has spread from south to north; for months the West Bank and Jerusalem have been suffering from heightened tensions and the terrible consequences of the violence. Deaths have increased, arrests and destruction have increased. For the past several months the war has also been affecting northern Israel on the border with Lebanon with continued exchanges of attacks with Hezbollah and the threat of the conflict spreading throughout the Middle East. The beloved Holy Land is truly enveloped in violence, hatred and revenge.
What is the current situation as seen from your perspective?
I have lived in the Holy Land for 36 years and I am Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land that guards the Holy Places and the Living Stones that inhabit them. In my many years of service and mission in this blessed land I have seen and experienced long periods of tension and conflict but in recent months hatred and violence have increased. People are tired of suffering and hope is fading.
Young people, youths , children have had their dreams crushed and so many opportunities for growth and development have been lost. So many of them have lost their lives, so many have lost their families, so many no longer have safe havens like schools, so many will carry physical and moral trauma for the rest of their days. Let us pray that hope will not fail and the dream of the gift of peace in the Holy Land will be realized.
Did the war worsen the economic and social situation of the population?
Particularly in Bethlehem there is a noticeable increase in economic and social hardship. Because of the war, there is a lack of pilgrims and therefore a lack of work for the families of local Christians who are engaged in tourism. Many families, as a result, lack the ability to support their loved ones and to think about their children's future. Many parents tell me that their children have changed, they are sad, they cry many times because of fear. The dangers of war, economic insecurity, and the climate of tension drive so many Christian families to leave the Holy Land and reach distant, safer countries, cutting their roots from their homeland and their faith.
Is there still hope for peace?
Wars, all wars, have tragic consequences. The situation in the Holy Land is very critical, but I believe in men of good will. We must pray and ask Almighty God to enlighten the minds of the powerful and enlarge the hearts of those who can stop the tragedy of war. My hope is that we return to serious negotiations, with the concrete involvement of the international community and a willingness to act responsibly for peace.
Pope Francis encourages us not to lose hope, and we who live on this Earth feel His suffering, which is also ours. We must not lose faith that true peace is still possible and we still remember the words of another great Pope, St. John Paul II: "There will be no peace in the world until there is peace in Jerusalem."
Father Ibrahim Faltas
Representative of the Foundation in the Middle East
*interview given by Father Ibrahim Faltas for Bee Magazine.