‘Pope condemns Brussels attack, urges resumption of peace talks’

‘Pontiff denounces religious intolerance; Netanyahu says status quo at religious sites to continue’

Pope condemns Brussels attack, urges resumption of peace talks | The Times of Israel

The aspirations for Israeli-Palestinian peace and reconciliation as expressed by the Pope are certainly to be welcomed and the hope must be that they will be fulfilled one day. But, without a specific formula to drive such sentiments, that day must remain far off, its arrival only a dream, the likelihood of its dawning too remote to overcome conditions that have persisted for entire generations. 

If no actual plan or timetable has been put forward, the pontiff’s words must remain just that, words without substance and calls for action but with no defined direction in mind. 

If such words are ever to be taken seriously, they must be backed up by an attitude and an ability to undertake a task that has defeated so many others before this; the last attempt at doing so having recently come to grief in the all too accustomed manner. 

Words alone will never bring enough leverage to bear upon issues that have kept peace way beyond the reach of what are now such implacable foes. Something far less ephemeral and with much more dynamism is required to achieve that long awaited but yet to be glimpsed outcome.

www.laxiankey.com – ‘ for those of us with better things to do.’