Pope criticizes Israeli refusal to peace and defends Palestinian state

In the midst of an escalation of tension in the Middle East, the voice of Pope Leo the 14th was raised, this Sunday (30), as a warning and denunciation. During the flight between Istanbul and Beirut, the pontiff declared that the two-state solution remains “the only one capable of ending the conflict”, but highlighted that Israel continues to reject this proposal — a position that, according to experts and international organizations, deepens the cycle of violence and legitimizes practices considered by many to be of a genocidal nature against the Palestinian people.

The pope’s speech, the first press conference since his election, resumes the historical line of the Holy See, which has recognized the State of Palestine since 2015 and has frequently denounced the devastation of Gaza, the forced displacement of civilians and the territorial isolation imposed by Israel.

Israeli intransigence isolates peace and perpetuates war

By insisting that “everyone knows” that Israel does not accept the creation of two states, Leo 14 touched on the core of the diplomatic impasse. Israeli refusal is not just a political obstacle: it is the engine of a process that results in the systematic destruction of Palestinian communities, recurrent attacks on civilian areas, and expulsion policies that have been described by human rights organizations as apartheid and ethnic cleansing.

The pope’s position directly confronts the Israeli narrative of total security, pointing out that security without justice is just a euphemism for continued violence. Contrary to the Israeli government’s rigid stance, the pontiff insisted that only sovereign coexistence can stop decades of occupation, siege and massacres.

Gaza as a “martyred land”: the papal warning about Palestinian suffering

Leo 14 once again mentioned the “martyred land of Gaza”, an expression that has already become a hallmark of his pontificate. For more than a year, the region has been living under bombings, sanitary collapse and forced displacement — direct consequences of Israeli military policy, internationally criticized for violating humanitarian law.

Contrary to the diplomatic silence of several Western powers, the Catholic leader points to the moral and historical responsibility that weighs on Israel. This is not just a military conflict, but a continuous process of dehumanization, which pushes Palestinians into the condition of people without territory, without rights and without guarantees of survival.

Türkiye and the Vatican: alliances around the two-state solution

The Pope stated that he found in Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Türkiye, full support for the proposal of the two States. The convergence is not accidental: Ankara has been one of the few major regional powers to directly confront Israel and denounce the disproportionate nature of its military actions.

The pontiff highlighted Turkey’s diplomatic importance, especially after its mediating role in recent crises in the Middle East and in the war in Ukraine itself. The movement reinforces Leo 14’s attempt to build a broad international front to pressure Israel to abandon the policy of permanent confrontation.

Lebanon welcomes the pope amid fears of new war

Leo 14 arrived in Lebanon — a country historically marked by the fragile balance between its communities — at a time when Israeli attacks in the south are advancing despite the ceasefire signed a year ago. For the Lebanese, who live with the constant specter of Israeli aggression, the pope’s words sound like denunciation and consolation.

The pontiff was received by President Joseph Aoun and political and religious leaders. In a speech, he called for internal reconciliation and asked the Lebanese to resist the pressures that have caused a wave of emigration. But the shadow of Israel — which maintains offensives against Hezbollah targets and civilian areas — silently permeated the entire visit.

Message of peace under a scenario of asymmetric violence

In his speeches in Türkiye and Lebanon, Leo 14 maintained a firm tone against the “drift towards a fragmented third world war”. However, when addressing the Palestinian issue, his warning becomes clear: there is no peace possible while one side exercises overwhelming military power and the other is deprived of fundamental rights.

His stance contrasts with international complacency in the face of Israeli actions, often justified under the pretext of self-defense, but carried out in a way that humanitarian organizations classify as collective punishment — prohibited by international law.

The Vatican’s challenge: mediating where the international community fails

Despite criticism of the Israeli stance, Leo 14 assured of maintaining “friendly” relations with the Jewish State and reaffirmed the Vatican’s willingness to act as a mediator.

But this mediation, to be real, requires diplomatic courage to name responsibilities — and, by pointing out Israel’s refusal as an absolute obstacle, the pope takes a step that many leaders avoid.

At a time when the Middle East is experiencing yet another chapter of destruction and forced displacement, the Vatican seeks to occupy the empty space left by powers that, in practice, validate the conflict by not confronting its structural imbalance.