ROME — This weekend, Pope Francis presided over the unveiling of a Nativity scene at the Vatican depicting the baby Jesus lying on a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf used as a national symbol.
I greet the “representatives of the Embassy of the State of Palestine, in distressed Palestine, who, on behalf of the city of Bethlehem, have come to present this 'Nativity', made by the artisans of Bethlehem,” the Pope said. said in his speech. address.
“I extend my heartfelt welcome to the civil and ecclesiastical authorities present, and in particular to Mahmoud Abbas, Special Representative of the President of Palestine, who has been here many times,” the Pope added.
Before this Nativity display, he said, “Let us instead remember our brothers and sisters who are suffering the tragedies of war right there and in other parts of the world.” “With tears in our eyes, let us pray for peace. Brothers and sisters, enough of war and violence!”
A nursery covered with keffiyeh, displayed The work, located in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, is a series of images of Christ, collectively named “Bethlehem Nativity 2024,'' designed by Palestinian artists Johnny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mizwasi, who are from Bethlehem. This is one of the nativity scenes.
Pope Francis prays during a preview of the Nativity scene with donors before the inauguration of the Nativity of Bethlehem 2024 in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall on December 7, 2024. (Andreas Solaro/AFP, via GETTY)
The creation and exhibition of the Nativity scene was organized by the Palestinian High Presidential Commission for Church Affairs, an agency of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian Embassy in the Vatican, and several local institutions in Bethlehem.
Local Italian media reported that the Pope and PLO executive committee member Ramzi Khouri also attended the inauguration ceremony, and that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivered “warm greetings”. reported.
Khoury “expressed his deep gratitude for the Pope's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and for his tireless efforts to end the war in Gaza and promote justice,” according to a PLO press release.
This weekend's unusual unveiling of the nativity scene comes in the wake of a series of statements by the pope on the Gaza conflict, in which he appears to be siding with Palestinians and against Israel.
Pope Francis has 'taken sides in the war between Hamas and Israel' said of wall street journal's editorial board stated in a November 19 editorial: “The headlines all have 'Pope,' 'Israel,' and 'genocide.' It's a huge victory for anti-Israel forces.”
As reported by Breitbart News, in a book-length interview with Hernan Reyes Alcaide, Hope Never Disappoints: A Pilgrim for a Better WorldThe Pope called for a “careful investigation” by international experts to determine whether Israel's military actions in Gaza met the “technical definition” of genocide.
“According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of genocide,” the Pope said in the book.
Pope Francis had already described Israel's military invasion of Gaza as “terrorism” and “genocide,” but he significantly strengthened his statements by suggesting that Israel's actions could constitute genocide.
The WSJ editor said, “While the Jews were fighting for survival on various fronts against an enemy who was trying to destroy them, the pope committed genocide against Jews who were themselves victims of genocide.'' “There is something alarming about the accusations,” the WSJ editor declared.
“Especially after the brutal October 7 massacre of unarmed Israeli civilians that started the war and Hamas’ subsequent strategy of using innocent Palestinian civilians as human shields,” they said. added.
Pope Francis' words also prompted a swift reaction from the Israeli embassy in the Holy See, rejecting any comparisons between Israel's military operations and genocide.
in a statement published Regarding X, the embassy said: “The October 7 massacre was a genocide against the Israeli people. Israel is acting in self-defense in accordance with international law. Any attempt to call this self-defense by another name is an attempt to name the Jewish state. Become.”
Similarly, Italian Holocaust survivors also criticized Pope Francis for suggesting that Israel's actions in Gaza could be considered “genocide.”
“Genocide is something else. You can talk about genocide when a million children are burned to death,” Edith Brooke, 93, said in an interview with an Italian daily. La Repubblica.
Mr Brooke, a Hungarian-born Jew and survivor of Auschwitz, Dachau and Bergen-Belsen, said the bloodshed in Gaza was “a tragedy that concerns us all”, but said Israel would seek to eliminate all Palestinians. He argued that he was not doing so.
Israel is determined rejected The war refers to actions in the ongoing war that began on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. It is a description.
