A Catholic Perspective on the Israel–Palestine Conflict

 

Children of Abraham, Land of Tears

A Catholic Perspective on the Israel–Palestine Conflict

By Chris M. Forte

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
— Matthew 5:9

___________________________________________

 

I. Prologue: The Holy Land and the Holy War

There is a strip of land on the Mediterranean coast called many things: Canaan, Judea, Israel, Palestine—the Holy Land.

For Jews, it is the land of promise.
For Muslims, the land of the Prophet’s ascension.
For Christians, it is the land where God became flesh.

And yet today, it is a land of blood.
The Israel–Palestine conflict is not just a political standoff—it is a spiritual and humanitarian tragedy. This exposé explores the historical, theological, and moral dimensions of this crisis from a Catholic perspective.

---

II. The Children of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael

“God heard the cry of the boy.” — Genesis 21:17

The conflict between Jews and Arabs is often traced—allegorically and historically—to the sons of Abraham:

• Isaac, through whom Jews trace their lineage,

• Ishmael, traditionally considered the forefather of the Arabs.

Though separated by blood and story, both are children of promise.

The Catholic Church affirms that both Jews and Muslims worship the one Creator:

“The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place among whom are the Muslims.”
— Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) §841

But only in Christ Jesus is the fullness of the covenant revealed, uniting Jew and Gentile, Isaac and Ishmael, into the New Israel—the Church.

---

III. From Rome to Jerusalem: Christianity’s Deep Roots

After Christ’s Resurrection, the Church took root in Jerusalem but was scattered following Roman persecution. Christianity spread to Antioch, then to Rome, evolving into a universal Church, no longer bound by land or ethnic bloodlines.

And yet, Christians never left the Holy Land.
To this day, Catholics of the Latin, Melkite, Maronite, and Armenian rites live and worship where Christ once walked.

But now, their future is in peril.

---

IV. The Zionist Movement and the Founding of Israel

After the Holocaust, the international community backed the idea of a Jewish homeland. In 1947, the UN proposed a partition of Palestine, with Jerusalem under international governance.

Israel declared statehood in 1948. War erupted.
Palestinians were expelled or fled—700,000 in total. Christians among them.

The Nakba (“catastrophe”) remains a bitter memory for Palestinians, including Palestinian Christians.

“Peace requires justice. Justice requires truth. Truth demands memory.”

---

V. The Church’s Teaching: Not Partisanship—But Prophecy

The Vatican recognizes both Israel and Palestine, and calls for:

• A negotiated two-state solution,

• Full access to holy sites,

• The end of occupation and violence on both sides.

The Church does not support violence—whether from Hamas or the IDF. It supports human dignity and the presence of Christians in their homeland.

“No one is saved alone, as an isolated individual. Rather... we are saved together.”
— Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti

---

VI. Dispensationalism: A Protestant Error

Many American Evangelicals support Israel due to dispensationalist eschatology:

• The belief that Israel is the fulfillment of prophecy,

• That the Third Temple must be rebuilt,

• That Christ will return after Jewish suffering in the End Times.

This view is rejected by the Catholic Church.
The Church teaches:

• Christ is the New Temple (John 2:19),

• The Church is the New Israel (Galatians 6:16),

• All prophecy is fulfilled in Christ.

“The old covenant has been fulfilled in the New Covenant.”
— CCC §121–123

Dispensationalism politicizes theology and reduces salvation history to land ownership—a far cry from the universal Kingdom of God.

---

VII. The Suffering of Palestinian Christians

Today, Palestinian Christians are vanishing.
In Gaza, there are fewer than 1,000 left.
The Holy Family Catholic Church was bombed in 2025, killing worshippers.
The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius was also bombed.
In the West Bank, Christian towns face attacks from Jewish settlers with near-total impunity.

“We are forgotten by the world, and sometimes even by the Church.”
— Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, Holy Family Church, Gaza

Though targeted by no one and protected by no one, these Christians endure with faith and charity. Their schools educate Muslims and Christians alike. Their hospitals heal all.

---

VIII. Final Word: The Cross, Not the Flag

As a Catholic, I believe:

• Israel is a nation, not a theological symbol.

• It is important as the land of the Incarnation, but its government must be held to moral scrutiny like any other.

• Criticizing a government is not antisemitism.

• When Jewish settlers burn churches, and the State does nothing, that silence is complicity.

Our loyalty is not to nationalism, but to Christ crucified.
We must speak truth even when it is unpopular.
We must remember that Christians are dying where Christianity began.

---

Appendix: Sources and Resources

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church §121–123, §841, §877 – Vatican.va

2. Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti – Vatican.va

3. Church Bombings in Gaza (2025) – AP News

4. History of Dispensationalism – Catholic Answers

5. UN Partition Plan (1947) – UN Archives

6. Holy Family Church, Gaza – Wikipedia

7. Patriarch Pizzaballa on Gaza – Reuters

8. History of the Nakba – Al Jazeera

9. Settlement Violence Against Christians – Times of Israel

Recent Developments: New Outcries for Humanity

Tragedy at Gaza’s Only Catholic Church

• On 17 July 2025, Israeli tank fire hit the Holy Family Church in Gaza, killing three and injuring ten, including Fr. Gabriel Romanelli. The attack came amid wider strikes on Gaza and intensifying starvation. Israel called it an accident; Cardinal Pizzaballa challenged that assertion Wikipedia+11Axios+11Vatican News+11The Washington Post+2Wikipedia+2TIME+2.

Pope Leo XIV Responds

• In his Angelus address at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo mourned the victims—Saad Salameh, Foumia Ayyad, Najwa Abu Daoud—calling for an immediate ceasefire, protection for worship spaces, and adherence to international law USCCB+3AP News+3Vatican News+3.

• The Vatican reiterated: “The world can't take it anymore… protect civilians… end the barbarity of war” The Times of India+15USCCB+15AP News+15.

U.S. Reaction

• Former President Donald Trump, reflecting widespread unease, personally pressured PM Netanyahu to explain and account for the attack Axios.

• The Trump administration publicly expressed frustration with Israel's continued military actions in Gaza and Syria, warning of potential strains on U.S.–Israel relations The Times of India+4TIME+4The Times+4.

International and Humanitarian Crisis

• A 32-nation Bogotá summit called Israel’s Gaza campaign a genocide and proposed halting arms supplies and raising accountability Wikipedia.

• UN aid agencies called Gaza a “hell on earth” amid intensifying starvation; dozens—many children—have died seeking food The Scottish Sun+4Al Jazeera+4The Guardian+4.

---

The Plight of Palestinian Christians

Between Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank, Christian communities are vanishing. The recent church strike and broader military operations in Jenin, Tulkarm, and elsewhere highlight a trend: religious persecution masked as collateral damage.

Fr. Romanelli voiced the anguish of many:

“We are forgotten by the world, and sometimes even by the Church.”

 

Appendix: Sources & Further Reading

1. AP News, “Pope Leo XIV renews call for ceasefire in Gaza” WikipediaWikipedia+3The Washington Post+3Vatican News+3Wikipedia+11Axios+11AP News+11

2. Vatican News, “Pope appeals for end to Gaza ‘barbarity’” TIME+15Vatican News+15USCCB+15

3. Time, “How Israel Appears to Be Gambling With Trump’s Patience” TIME

4. The Bogotá Summit, Hague Group report The Times+5Wikipedia+5unrwa.org+5

5. UN & Aid reports on Gaza humanitarian crisis unrwa.org+1The Guardian+1

6. Wikipedia & Reuters: Holy Family Church bombing AP News+7Wikipedia+7Axios+7

7. Catechism references and Pope Francis’s Fratelli Tutti Wikipedia

About the Author

Chris M. Forte is a Catholic writer, historian, and editor based in San Diego’s Little Italy. With a deep passion for theology, Church history, and global justice, he explores the intersection of faith, politics, and human dignity through a Catholic lens. Drawing on years of research and lived experience, Chris writes to give voice to the voiceless and shed light on forgotten corners of the Catholic world.

Catholics & Palestine: “The Cry of the Innocent”: Palestinian Christians, War, and the Catholic Response

 

“The Cry of the Innocent”: Palestinian Christians, War, and the Catholic Response

By Chris M. Forte
Editor, The Italian Californian, Why I Am Catholic

As Catholic Christians, we know that our faith was born in the land now called Israel and Palestine. Jesus Christ, our Lord, was a Jew who walked the streets of Jerusalem, taught in Galilee, and suffered on Calvary. The early Church was Jewish. And yet today, many of the descendants of those earliest Christians—our brothers and sisters in the faith—are suffering, displaced, or dead, victims not just of war, but of political indifference, ethnic violence, and the slow erasure of Christian presence in the very land where our faith began.

This post is written not in hatred, but in sorrow. Not in condemnation of a people, but in defense of truth, justice, and the innocent.

---

✝️ Christians in the Holy Land: Forgotten Witnesses

For 2,000 years, Christians have lived continuously in the land of Jesus. Today, however, Palestinian Christians—both in the West Bank and Gaza—are rapidly vanishing. In Gaza, fewer than 1,000 Christians remain. Most are Orthodox; about 135 are Catholic. Despite their small numbers, their churches and schools serve as places of refuge, charity, and hope—not just for fellow Christians, but for Muslim neighbors and all civilians caught in the crossfire.

On July 17, 2025, tragedy struck the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, the only Catholic parish in the entire territory. An Israeli tank shell hit the church compound, killing three civilians and injuring at least ten others, including the parish priest, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli. Weeks earlier, 18 civilians sheltering at the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius were killed in an airstrike.

These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader pattern of devastation that includes homes, hospitals, and places of worship. Despite Israeli government claims that these strikes were accidental, the damage is deep—both materially and spiritually.

---

🕊️ A Catholic Call for Peace, Justice, and Human Dignity

The Vatican, joined by Catholic bishops and clergy worldwide, has condemned the violence against Christian sites and called for an immediate ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access, and respect for sacred spaces. Pope Leo XIV has made repeated appeals for compassion and peace, stating that no military objective can justify the killing of civilians or the destruction of churches.

And he’s right. Our Catholic faith, rooted in the teachings of Christ, demands the protection of the innocent—regardless of religion, race, or nationality. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that “those who are sworn to serve their country in the armed forces are servants of the security and freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty honorably, they truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of peace” (CCC 2310). But when war ceases to serve justice and instead sows terror, starvation, or ethnic hostility, it becomes not a defense—but an offense against God.

---

⚖️ Holding Israel Accountable: Not Antisemitism, But Moral Clarity

Let me be clear: criticizing the Israeli government is not antisemitism.

Israel, like every other nation, has a right to exist in peace. But also like every other nation, its government is subject to moral scrutiny. As Catholics, we believe in the dignity of every human life—Jew, Christian, Muslim, believer or non-believer. And when a nation violates that dignity—especially on a massive scale—it is not only our right, but our Christian duty, to speak out.

Many international observers—including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and even some Israeli human rights groups—have raised alarms about potential war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and collective punishment of Gaza civilians. When churches are bombed, hospitals destroyed, and civilians starved by siege, these are not unfortunate side effects. They are violations of international law—and of divine law.

---

🔥 Settler Violence and Passive Complicity

The growing violence in the West Bank is also a tragedy that cannot be ignored. In recent months, Jewish settlers have attacked Palestinian Christians, vandalized churches, and torched homes with little to no consequence. In the Christian village of Taybeh, the historic Church of Saint George was partially burned in an arson attack.

The United States officially labeled the settler violence as acts of terrorism. And yet, the Israeli government has largely failed to prosecute or even restrain the perpetrators. Some believe this amounts to passive support—a tacit green light by failing to stop or punish crimes against Palestinian Christians and Muslims alike. It raises the disturbing question: Is Israel willing to protect Christian lives and churches, or are these sacred sites considered expendable collateral?

---

Global Responses: Condemnations and Calls for Accountability

The bombing of the Catholic Church in Gaza sparked outrage not only in the Vatican but across the international community:

• Former U.S. President Donald Trump personally called Prime Minister Netanyahu to express his shock and demand accountability.

• U.S. diplomats condemned settler attacks on Palestinian churches as "terrorism" and called for criminal prosecutions.

• Leaders from Italy, Spain, Ireland, and the United Nations have demanded a ceasefire and humanitarian relief for Gaza civilians.

• Catholic bishops from the U.S. and Europe have launched appeals and sent aid to Christian communities still clinging to life in the Holy Land.

---

🕯️ My Catholic Perspective

As a Catholic, I believe Israel is a nation like any other nation. Its historical significance as the land of Jesus is immense. Its role as steward of the Christian Holy Sites is vital. But it has no theological importance in and of itself—certainly not in terms of divine authority or moral exemption. The promises of God are fulfilled in Christ, and in the Church He established.

That means Israel’s government, like every government, must be held to the standard of justice, mercy, and the protection of human life. No nation—Jewish, Christian, Muslim, or secular—is above moral accountability. To criticize a government’s policies is not to hate a people. Rather, it is to love the truth, to defend the innocent, and to walk in the footsteps of Christ, who spoke truth to power—even when it cost Him His life.

Today, that means standing with Palestinian Christians, many of whom are suffering not for what they’ve done, but for who they are and where they live. It means defending their churches, amplifying their voices, and refusing to look away when the bombs fall on their homes and altars.

---

🙏 Final Word

We are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation in a broken world (2 Corinthians 5:20). That means standing between warring factions, defending the truth, and never forgetting the human faces behind the headlines.

May the God of peace bring justice to the Holy Land.
May Christian churches never again be targets of war.
May love overcome hatred, and truth silence propaganda.
And may the innocent—whatever their religion—be protected, cherished, and restored.

---

Chris M. Forte is a Catholic writer and editor based in San Diego’s Little Italy. He writes on faith, history, and justice, always with an eye toward the Gospel.