Vatican denounces statements denting right of Israel to exist
The Vatican today condemned as “unacceptable” statements denying the right of Israel to exist, in an apparent reference to the Iranian president’s recent remarks.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls also denounced recent Palestinian attacks against Israel and Israeli retaliation, and reaffirmed the Vatican’s view that both Israel and the Palestinians had the right to live “in peace, security, each one in their own sovereign states.”
He condemned “certain statements, particularly serious and unacceptable, in which the right to the existence of the state of Israel was denied.”
He did not mention Iran by name, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was condemned throughout the world after saying that “Israel must be wiped off the map.”
Israel has called for Iran to be suspended from the United Nations.
Navarro-Valls condemned this week’s “terrorist attack” in the central Israeli town of Hadera, in which five Israelis were killed, as well as the “successive retaliation” by Israel.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the Hadera bombing, saying it was revenge for the slaying by Israeli troops of the top Islamic Jihad gunman in the West Bank.
Last night, in Gaza’s Jebaliya refugee camp, Israeli aircraft fired missiles at a car carrying four Islamic Jihad members, killing them and three bystanders.
The failure of Pope Benedict XVI to condemn an attack against Israel in July sparked outrage in the country.
At the time, Navarro-Valls said the Vatican could not condemn every attack against Israel because it would then also have to condemn Israeli retaliation, which he said often violated international law.
Israel says the diplomatic spat was resolved after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wrote a letter, calling the pope a “true friend of Israel.”
