(ZENIT News / Rome, 15.05.2024).- Israel’s Embassy to the Holy See expressed its profound indignation and consternation following the events that occurred last May 11, during the closing of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity. According to Israeli diplomacy, what should have been a forum to promote peace and humanity was tarnished by a speech described as “flagrant and full of antisemitic lies.”
In an official press release, the Israeli Embassy energetically condemned the speech pronounced by the 2011 Nobel Prize recipient, Tawakkol Karman, who called the mass killing of Palestinians by the Israeli Army a genocide. The Embassy pointed out that the rhetoric used included accusations of ethnic cleansing in Gaza, which it considers a grave distortion of the reality. “To speak of ethnic cleansing in Gaza while Israel allows daily the entrance of great quantities of humanitarian aid is Orwellian,” said the Embassy, underscoring the irony and falsehood of the accusations. Curiously, recent videos show the actions of some Israelis to block access to food to Gaza.
The Embassy lamented profoundly that no one intervened to halt the speech, describing the incident as one more proof that antisemitism and prejudices against Jews continue being very present. “This episode is the umpteenth sign of how much antisemitism and preconceptions towards Jews are still very alive,” added the press release, urging a reflection on tolerance and on the responsibility of organizers of events of such high importance.
The objective of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity was to promote inter-religious dialogue and world peace, bringing together leaders and representatives of different religions and cultures. However, the incident sparked a specific controversy , generating diplomatic tensions between Israel and the Vatican.
To date, there has been no official response from the Vatican regarding the incident.
Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.
