Blog

by Renato Burigana

• Abuna Ibrahim Faltas, you are a Franciscan, you have been a key player in the life of Bethlehem and Jerusalem for more than twenty years, you know better than anyone else the whole Middle East, its history and problems, as well as potentialities. What is the situation in Palestine after more than a year of Covid?

"The situation in Palestine is truly tragic. We have to keep in mind that the most relevant economic sector of the country is tourism, since the beginning of the pandemic, with the absence of tourists there has been a total collapse of everything. Entire families who were engaged in tourism were left without work, thus going to worsen the already tragic situation that the country was experiencing because of the problems that had existed for years. We had many cases of coronavirus, affecting the most fragile people. All the hotels were closed, even the Casa Nova. Many people who, after the very high influx that there had been in 2019, had invested in building new hotels or eating places, are now in dire straits. The pandemic affected everyone, but those who were already living in poverty suffered the most."   

• How much has the absolute absence of tourists and pilgrims affected the daily lives of the residents of Bethlehem and Jerusalem? And when can we expect pilgrims to return?

"Daily life in Bethlehem and Jerusalem is marked by the silent but dramatic problem of how to get through the day. We Franciscan friars have committed all our resources to try to help people, distributing basic necessities, helping many get vaccines, especially those living in Bethlehem. We helped all the children who came from disadvantaged families to continue their schooling, assuring them of assistance, and trying to lift them up during the long period of closure, when the children themselves realized the gravity of the moment simply by seeing that the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, Manger Square in Bethlehem and all the holy places were empty. We look forward to the return of the pilgrims by the end of the year!" 

• In Italy, as in other European countries, citizens are vaccinating to try to resume a "normal" life; in Israel, what is the health situation like? What about in the Palestinian National Authority territories? 

Israel boasts the record of being the country that in a really quick time made vaccines to almost the entire population. Life in Israel has returned to normal already since the Easter holidays, in fact this year we were able to celebrate Holy Week in all its beauty. And life in Israeli cities flows normally. Palestine had very long lockdown periods to limit the spread of contagions, and it was a good solution to safeguard against Covid and get back to normal. In fact, life in Palestine is flowing normally and we were able to finish the school year in attendance as well. A large number of Palestinian laborers working in Israel have been vaccinated by the health authorities in Israel and therefore have the right to move between cities."   

• In September the Effetà Institute will celebrate its first fifty years. Could that be a turning point toward a normalization of the situation? Are pilgrims expected to arrive in Bethlehem?

"For the Effetà Institute this is an important milestone, as important as their mission is. We all hope to return soon to a small recovery. Since August, groups have been allowed to enter the Holy Land, following protocols outlined by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. For us it is a glimmer of openness and I hope that all those who love the Holy Land will return pilgrims soon, because we need all of you!" 

• Pope Francis is always close to the people of the Middle East. You also wrote this, commenting on the Pontiff's historic trip to Iraq. What do you expect from Christians living in Italy and Europe?

"Pope Francis has always made his closeness felt through prayer and heartfelt appeals. We are all grateful for his closeness. We Christians of the Holy Land, Lebanon and Syria, we need your prayers, we need your help, to keep our presence burning in all the Holy Places. Those who can, return as pilgrims to the Holy Land: do not leave us alone!"