It was with gravity that Bishop William Shomali, Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine, addressed British parliamentarians during a meeting organized within the United Kingdom Parliament. Having come at the invitation of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the bishop painted a somber picture of the situation experienced by the populations of Gaza and the West Bank since October 7, 2023.
Before a large and attentive audience, Bishop Shomali did not seek to take sides or reignite controversies. His message was clear: we must work for peace, with a spirit of truth, justice, and reconciliation. Rather than reopening wounds, he invited remembrance of the statesmen who, in the past, had the courage to extend a hand despite tensions.
He emotionally recalled the historic visit of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Jerusalem, which paved the way for peace between Egypt and Israel. He also evoked the powerful gesture of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who worked for peace with Jordan before being assassinated. These men, the bishop emphasized, offered their lives for true peace, in a spirit of sacrifice and overcoming grievances.
A Suffering Population
The war has left behind a profound sense of discouragement. In the West Bank, families struggle to survive. Unemployment affects about half of the Palestinian population, and the city of Bethlehem, usually sustained by pilgrimages and religious tourism, is particularly hard hit.
Before the fighting, nearly 160,000 Palestinians traveled to Israel every day to work, thereby providing for their families. But since the events of October, these permits have almost all been suspended. Only a few hundred permits have been granted, a drop in the bucket compared to the needs.
Bishop Shomali testified to the distress of the Christians of Bethlehem, who call him day after day not to ask for money, but for the possibility to work. These repeated calls, which he cannot satisfy for lack of permits, deeply trouble him. His diocese has only 300 work permits, and the other Churches face the same limitations.
Movement within the West Bank itself has become a veritable obstacle course. More than 900 checkpoints are scattered across the territory, making every journey uncertain. Sick people cannot get to their medical appointments in Jerusalem. Families remain blocked for hours, sometimes an entire day, due to unexpected barriers.
A journey that once took two hours can now take eight. Lines of cars stretch as far as the eye can see, and with them, waiting, fatigue, and despair.
The Cry of Gaza
In the Gaza Strip, the situation is even more dramatic. At the Church of the Holy Family, approximately 640 people are taking refuge to escape the violence of the fighting. During the truce, the Latin Church, supported by its benefactors, was able to distribute food and aid to Christians and Muslims alike, in an outpouring of fraternal charity. But the bombings have resumed, and food convoys are now halted.
Thanks to the support of Aid to the Church in Need, food, medicine, spiritual accompaniment, and even psychological support have been able to be provided to the most afflicted families. The association remains one of the principal supporters of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in this work of mercy.