Pope Leo XIV Promotes International Legal Supremacy for Palestine

The leader of the Holy See Vatican Pope Leo XIV (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The leader of the Vatican Holy See, Pope Leo XIV, reaffirmed the civil rights of Palestinians to live in peace in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In an annual meeting with diplomats, Friday, January 9, the Pope called for an end to violence and a return to international legal supremacy.

The Pope expressed deep concern over the ongoing humanitarian suffering in Gaza despite the ceasefire having been announced since October 2021. According to him, the situation on the ground is actually burdening civilians who have long been caught in the conflict.

"The Holy See continues to monitor every diplomatic initiative for the future of a just peace for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples," the Pope said, as reported by Antara, Saturday, January 10.

In his speech, the Pope emphasized that the two-state solution remains the most capable political framework to answer the aspirations of both nations. However, he regretted the global trend that now prioritizes militarization rather than multilateral dialogue.

The Pope's sharp criticism was directed at the phenomenon of power diplomacy carried out by certain groups of countries. He assessed the post-World War II principle regarding the prohibition of the use of weapons to violate the borders of other countries has now been ignored.

"Peace is no longer sought as a primary value, but is imposed through the power of weapons in order to show dominance," he said.

Pope Leo XIV warned that this tendency undermines the foundation of civilized coexistence. He highlighted in particular the increase in violence against residents in the West Bank. For the Vatican, the right of the Palestinian people to their land is an integral part of efforts to achieve sustainable regional stability.