By Holy See Mission
New York, NY, Nov. 3 – The Holy See encouraged the efforts of those assisting the increasing population of Palestinian refugees as well as those involved in the peace process.At yesterday’s meeting of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee twenty four diplomatic missions made statements about the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The Holy See Mission spoke last. Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, whose Delegation included Br. David Carroll FSC of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), also greeted the out-going and in-coming Commissioner-Generals of UNRWA.Noting that Israelis and Palestinians have been living all the while under the threat of terrorism and military action, the Archbishop renewed the call of the Holy See for a Two State Solution with special status for the Holy City of Jerusalem, citing the 1997 U.N. Resolution which calls for “internationally guaranteed provisions to ensure the freedom of religion and conscience of its inhabitants, as well as permanent, free and unhindered access to the Holy Places by the faithful of all religions and nationalities”. He insisted that “all hurdles to negotiations, particularly those of recent origin, which hinder free, mutual communication and the respectful exchange of positions, must be addressed in a responsible fashion without delay.”Ascribing the situation to “a failure on the part of both concerned parties to resolve their differences”, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See urged them and “all legitimate interests to engage in significant and substantive dialogue in order to bring stability and peace to the Holy Land”, asking for the international community to help “meaningful negotiations between all parties”.
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