Israeli Embassy criticizes Catholic leaders in Holy Land for making “just war” statement

“As Catholics in the Holy Land who share Pope Francis’ vision for a peaceful world, we are outraged that political actors in Israel and abroad are mobilizing the theory of ‘just war’ to sustain and legitimize the ongoing war in Gaza,” the statement said.

“This theory is being used in a way it was never intended for: to justify the deaths of tens of thousands of our friends and neighbors.”

The statement said that in the case of the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, it was clear that negotiations had not been exhausted before the use of force and other issues.

“Some claim that the war follows the rules of ‘proportionality’, arguing that a war that continues to the bitter end could save Israeli lives in the future, thus compensating for the thousands of Palestinian lives currently being lost,” they said.

“In doing so, they are putting the safety of hypothetical people in the future above the lives of living and breathing people who are killed every day,” the Catholic leaders continued.

“In a spirit of hope, we must not allow words like ‘just’ to be used to justify injustice, cruelty and devastation. We must stand up for the integrity of language because we remain convinced that true justice is still possible if we hold on to its promise.”