“They named countries after themselves” (Ps 49, 12). The Holy See and the path of diplomacy between Israel and Palestine

Abstract

One of the most challenging contexts for contemporary diplomacy is undoubtedly that of the Holy Land, in the ongoing and never-ending crossfire of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This article aims to analyze the Holy See's role as a subject of international law within this challenging landscape, starting from a historical analysis of the conditions that shaped relations between the Catholic Church and the Zionist movement in the twentieth century, from the first contacts during the pontificate of Pius X and all the way to the birth of Israel. After a brief overview of the theological stumbling blocks that marked the relationship between Catholicism and Judaism, also considering the contribution of the Second Vatican Council, the Holy See's agreements with the warring parties are examined individually. First, the Fundamental Agreement of 1993 with the State of Israel and the subsequent Legal Personality Agreement of 1997, and then the Basic Agreement of 2000 with the Palestine Liberation Organization, finally arriving at the recognition of the State of Palestine and the related Comprehensive Agreement of 2015. In the concluding section, these legal instruments are examined in the light of the current situation, considering the position of the Holy See in the face of the conflict and the possible intervention prospects of the Church and of the Catholic institutions.