On July 25, Monsignor Simon Kassas, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the Security Council Open Debate on the “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.”

In his statement, Msgr. Kassas said that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process must remain a top priority for the Security Council and the international community. He reiterated the Holy See’s strong support for a negotiated two-State solution and called on both parties to agree on substantial steps to lower tensions and violence on the ground. A two-State solution, he added, requires all Palestinian factions to work together. Jerusalem must retain a special, internationally guaranteed, status so that the faithful of all religions may have free and uninhibited access to it. Msgr. Kassas likewise addressed the situation of war and conflict in Syria, Yemen, and northern Iraq, in particular highlighting the elements necessary to secure and maintain peace in Syria.

The statement can be found here.