Bad blood

Haaretz ^ | 9/4/5 | Adi Schwartz

[SmithL]

The conflict between Israel and the Vatican may be over, but its root causes were not solved.

What exactly happened in the clash between the Vatican and Israel last month, which culminated two weeks ago with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon writing a letter to the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano? From the Israeli perspective, the conflict appears simple enough and is due to the fact that the Pope did not condemn the terror attack in Netanya on July 12, which killed five. But from the Vatican's point of view, the affair is far more complex and touches on the slow progress in the negotiations between the two states regarding a final agreement formalizing the relations between them, which has been going on for a number of years now. In any case, Vatican experts say the affair and the strident tones on both sides are a clear indication of the bad blood between Israel and the Holy See.

The affair began on July 24, in Pope Benedict XVI's weekly Angelus address. At the end of his remarks, the pope condemned the "abominable terrorist attacks causing death, destruction and suffering in Egypt, Turkey, Iraq and Great Britain." The next day, the Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned the Vatican envoy in Israel, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, to express "protest," and released a statement saying the pope's omission of the terror attack in Netanya "cries out to the heavens," and cannot be interpreted other than as "granting legitimacy to terrorist attacks on Jews."

The Vatican spokesmen responded that very evening: "Concerning the Israeli reaction to the fact that the Holy Father, in his Angelus of Sunday July 24, did not also mention Israel alongside other countries, it should be noted that Benedict XVI's words specifically referred to the attacks of `these days.'

[SmithL]

Pope John Paul II during his visit to Israel in 2000. Israel and the Vatican have yet to come to a final agreement on bilateral relations.

[siunevada]

In any case, Vatican experts say

As Taranto says, "Where would we be without experts?" Golly, I might not have a single idea in my head without them.