Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic 
Mourning the deaths of protesters in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, the Vatican’s observer at UN agencies in Geneva urged people on both sides to let “wisdom and prudence prevail”.
Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic spoke at a special session of the UN Human Rights Council dedicated to discussing “the deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem”.
Protests along the Gaza-Israeli border and in the West Bank continued after 60 people were killed last week in clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians protesting the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem and al-Naqba, what Palestinians call their catastrophe – the creation of the State of Israel.
Just before US President Donald Trump announced he was moving the embassy from Tel Aviv, Pope Francis had urged caution, saying a unilateral move could cause more violence in the region.
Borders
Archbishop Jurkovic quoted the Pope, telling the UN panel: “All those involved in the recent deplorable actions must recall, well beyond the question of borders, the ‘unique identity of Jerusalem, which is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in which the holy places are venerated by the respective religions, and which has a special vocation for peace.”
The archbishop said the violence demonstrates what Pope Francis had said at his weekly general audience last month: “War begets war, violence begets violence.”
Every human being has the right to enjoy peace, the archbishop said. And “state authorities, indeed, have the solemn duty and responsibility to encourage all parties concerned to find paths to a true and sustainable peace, which is the fruit of justice.”
