Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said that, at the moment, a two-state solution to end the war between Israel and Hamas in the Holy Land “is not realistic.”
“My impression is that no one wants a wider conflict, but no one is able to stop it,” Pizzaballa said in an exclusive interview with EWTN’s Colm Flynn. “Now there is a need for something new, creative, I don’t know what, but all the previous agreements, the ideas, the prospect of a two-state solution, all that is not realistic now,” the cardinal explained. Pizzaballa described the war between Israel and Hamas, which began Oct. 7, 2023, as the worst period the people of the Holy Land have experienced in 35 years.
“Not only because of the violence … but because of the scope, the impact, even the emotional impact on the population, both Israeli and Palestinian, and now in Lebanon, which is enormous,” he added.
After the Hamas incursion into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel responded with a major military operation in Gaza, which also involved Iran and Lebanon. In recent months, Pope Francis has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and an end to the war in the Holy Land, especially after the Angelus prayer on Sunday. On Oct. 17, he received a former Israeli prime minister and three former high-ranking Palestinian ministers at the Vatican to discuss the situation.
In the interview, Pizzaballa expressed concern about the “language of hatred” present everywhere. “This is terrible. And my concern is not so much about the war. Wars are not eternal; they end, like all wars, but what comes next, the consequences, will be terrible.”
The Church is the voice of the poor
Regarding the negotiations necessary to achieve peace, the cardinal commented, “I don’t think the Church should get into these things. The Church is better off staying out … because if you get in, you are no longer free. The strength of the Church is to be a voice, the voice of the poor.”
After stressing that “everyone has to do their job, politicians have to find a political perspective and religious leaders have to help people find hope.” The Jerusalem Patriarch also clarified that “peace is an attitude. It is not just an agreement.”
However, Pizzaballa continued, given the current context “it is unrealistic to talk about peace. Now, what we need to talk about first is a cease-fire, to stop all forms of violence…and also find a new leadership with vision, a political vision, and also religious leaders. Only then can we think about a new perspective for the Middle East, but not before.”
On the use of hunger as a weapon of war
The cardinal expressed regret over what is happening in Gaza and stressed that aid sent by international organizations is not enough to assist the 2 million people there.
Asked what Christians outside the Holy Land can do, Pizzaballa said, “Pray and support. Support the Christian community as much as possible.”
Message to Israelis and Palestinians
After reiterating that violence is not a solution, the Jerusalem Patriarch insisted that “Palestinians and Israelis are called by God to live side by side, not against each other. And they must rediscover this call.”
He also stressed that “the answer to violence and evil is the cross.” He said that “it is not impossible to see God in the midst of all this because “the Gospel is not an idea or a narrative, it is life,” and stressed the need to “trust more in the power of God’s grace.”
