"The West Bank as “a Series of Open-Air Prisons” Key Points.

Key Points and Further Details

1. The West Bank as “a Series of Open-Air Prisons”

Pastor Munther Isaac describes the current situation in the West Bank as one of its "darkest moments."
Israeli settlements and roadblocks are making the region "uninhabitable," cutting off built-up areas from each other.
Around Bethlehem alone, there are 80 roadblocks, making movement extremely difficult (often taking 6-7 hours to cross).
Economic devastation due to the decline of religious tourism has left churches focused on providing aid to struggling families.

2. The Future of Bethlehem’s Christian Community

At least 100 Christian families have left Bethlehem since the start of the war.
The Christian population in Bethlehem is already a small community struggling to survive.
Forced displacements are increasing, with 45,000 Palestinians already displaced due to Israeli military raids on refugee camps.
Fear that the West Bank might suffer the same fate as Gaza.

3. The Plight of Palestinian Prisoners

Sahar Francis, a human rights lawyer, highlights mass arbitrary arrests of Palestinians, including children.
Prisoners face intimidation, humiliation, sexual harassment, beatings, and starvation in Israeli prisons.
Scabies is rampant among detainees, and at least 60 prisoners have died from it in the past 15 months.
Israel has been releasing prisoners as part of hostage exchanges but is also arresting many new ones, sometimes re-arresting those previously released.
Francis: The Israeli justice system is not about "justice" but about controlling Palestinian society.

4. Mass Displacement and International Law

Rifat Kassis emphasizes the worsening situation in Gaza and the West Bank since October 7.
He warns that President Trump’s plan for the mass displacement of Gazans amounts to ethnic cleansing and would lead to continuous war in the region.
He highlights a recent statement from Jerusalem's Patriarchs and Heads of Churches condemning these displacement plans as an affront to human dignity.
International law concerns: Kassis stresses the need for accountability, referencing the ICC arrest warrants for Hamas’ Mohammed Deif and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.
Calls on Italy and the Vatican to support the enforcement of international law since the ICC was founded in Rome.

5. Pope Francis and Palestine

The three activists were supposed to meet Pope Francis, but the meeting was postponed due to his health issues.
They express prayers for his recovery.
Rev. Isaac: Pope Francis is deeply loved in Palestine, across different communities.
The Pope's nightly phone calls with Gaza’s Catholic parish and his 2014 visit to the West Bank remain powerful symbols.
His prayer at the separation wall in Bethlehem made Palestinians feel "humanized", answering their doubts about whether the world truly sees them as equals.

Source:

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2025-02/munther-isaac-west-bank-rifat-kassis-safar-francis-palestine.html

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