“Gaza today looks like the German cities destroyed during the Second World War and much more,” Bishop William Shomali, 73, the Palestinian-born auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, told America in this exclusive interview from Jerusalem, conducted by email.
While the bishop lamented the failure of the United Nations to act decisively to bring about a ceasefire, he nevertheless expressed his conviction that the 70-year-old conflict could be brought to an end by the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside the Israeli one.
He spoke about what the U.N. agencies call “the catastrophic situation” in Gaza as a result of the Israeli bombing in retaliation for the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 that left 1,200 dead. Hamas took 240 hostages, and 130 men, women and children remain in captivity in Gaza. The Israeli bombing has led to the death of more than 18,000 Palestinians, including over 7,000 children and 5,000 women. Today, some 1.9 million Palestinians are struggling to survive, with almost no food, clean water or medical assistance in the southern part of Gaza where they have been instructed to go by the Israeli forces.
The bishop also commented on the situation in the West Bank where most Palestinians live and where 260 have been killed and 4,000 arrested by Israeli security forces since Oct. 7.
He described how Christmas will be celebrated in the Holy Land this year and said he fears the Christian presence will disappear from Gaza when the war ends and will decrease even more in the region.
Bishop Shomali answered my questions on Dec. 13, the day after the U.N. General Assembly voted for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, with 153 states voting in favor, 10 against (including the United States and Israel) and 23 abstaining. That vote came after the United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on Dec. 8 that called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire with 13 members then voting in favor, and the United Kingdom abstaining.
You have been to Gaza many times. How would you describe the situation there today?
Gaza today looks like the German cities destroyed during the Second World War and much more. Most of the infrastructure is damaged. Thousands of houses were destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless. Only 20 percent of the population has access to clean water. Diseases are spreading. Hospitals need fuel. Panic and fear prevail. Fear prevails also in the Israeli cities near Gaza borders. Most of the inhabitants were obliged to leave their homes.
What worries you most about what is happening in Gaza?
Besides the material damage, the war has generated more hatred, which will not heal easily. Killing does not bring peace but generates more violence in the future. I hope that at this point the two sides understand that the road to peace is in respecting the U.N. resolutions and implementing them through serious negotiations.
I fear that the Christians of Gaza who suffered more than in any other previous war may leave the district for good after the end of the war. Some 60 have already left. Twenty were killed [since the war started]. After this war, I fear there will be no more Christians in Gaza after a continuous presence of more than 18 centuries.
Are you able to communicate with people in Gaza, such as the small Catholic community of the Holy Family parish, and what do they tell you?
We contact them every day when it's possible. They tell us about their daily life and basic needs. Now they have a shortage of fuel. We fear they will not be able to have enough electricity to charge their telephones. Without a telephone, any contact with them will be impossible in the future.
Do you see an end to the fighting in Gaza before Christmas?
We pray and hope. We believe in miracles!
What do you think about the response of the international community to this war and the humanitarian crisis it has caused?
The response to the humanitarian crisis was excellent. But the number of trucks approved to enter [Gaza] through the Rafah district is much less than the real needs. People need much more help than what is allowed in every day.
On the diplomatic level, I regret that the U.N. role in this conflict was a failure. The U.N. became a forum for rhetoric, during which mutual accusations are exchanged, but not a place where pragmatic decisions are taken and implemented. The American veto in the U.N. [Security Council] paralyzed the attempt to impose a humanitarian ceasefire.
What kind of celebration, if any, do you envisage for Christmas?
In the parishes, and in Bethlehem, the external festivities such as Santa Claus, the lighting of Christmas trees and Christmas markets are canceled out of solidarity with the victims. More emphasis will be put on the spiritual meaning of Christmas. We believe that Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins, which are the ultimate reason for conflict and wars. This war, with all its consequences, is not from God. It is man-made. Man is in need of salvation, which is [something] spiritual before being social, political or economic.
Do you have contact with any of the families of the Israeli hostages?
I do not have any direct contact, but I feel empathy with the innocent victims of both sides. I didn’t understand why elderly people, peaceful women and children were taken hostage. We are sorry for all innocent people who suffered from this cycle of violence.
You are the Latin patriarchal vicar for Jerusalem. What is the situation like in the Holy City for Palestinians in these days? What is the situation like for the Catholic and other Christian churches in Jerusalem?
In Jerusalem, life continues but with less joy and enthusiasm than before. We feel the absence of pilgrims and a high rate of unemployment. We prayed a lot for the ceasefire and continue to do that. We will do that during the Christmas novena, which prepares us to celebrate the memory of the historical birth of Jesus, our Savior, the Prince of Peace.
You are also the Latin patriarchal vicar for Palestine. How do you read the situation in the West Bank where we have seen numerous raids by Israeli forces and settlers in many Palestinian towns since Oct. 7 that have resulted in the deaths and arrests of many Palestinians?
Life in the West Bank is not normal. The 160,000 Palestinians who used to work in Israel are now unemployed. A lot of people live under the poverty line. The employees of the Palestinian Authority receive only part of their stipend because the government does not have enough to pay them. Many Christians started to leave the country, and many more think the same way. Their departure will render the situation more vulnerable for those who remain.
Various media reports say the situation has become very difficult for the two million Palestinians who are citizens of Israel. Is that how you see it?
There is unrest because both sides look at the war differently. I understand that the situation is critical and requires a lot of wisdom from both sides in order not to hurt the social tissue. The government is severe in controlling the freedom of speech. Any expression of sympathy with Hamas or criticism of the war can be tagged as incitement and may be sanctioned.
What is the Catholic Church, together with the other churches, doing to respond to the conflict and the humanitarian crisis?
The heads of [the Christian] churches made several appeals for a ceasefire and for a return to negotiations for a final solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The ultimate reason for the conflict comes from delaying the political solution. The two-state solution has been archived. It is time to revive it and to give Palestinians self-determination. The date of Oct. 7 and the war that followed are important phases in this long-term conflict, which has continued for over seven decades. I am sure that if a peace treaty is signed the two states [of Israel and Palestine] can live beside each other in peace and harmony without the need for walls and wars.
Despite all the difficulties arising from the many [Israeli] settlements built in the West Bank in recent years, the two-state solution remains the only [peace proposal] agreed upon at the international level. It should be negotiated. With goodwill, all the difficulties can be overcome.
