Palestinian and Israeli leaders to a prayer ceremony in the Vatican

The recent invitation to Palestinian and Israeli leaders to a prayer ceremony in the Vatican by Pope Francis received media coverage around the world. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres visited the Vatican at the invitation of Pope Francis. In a special prayer ceremony held in the Vatican, both leaders pledged to work hard for peace and stability in the region. 

Several people attended the landmark ceremony and sang songs of peace. The reality is that without addressing core issues between the two rivals, the Palestinian and Israeli dreams of peace can’t come true.

Mere media statements and cosmetic steps cannot bring changes to the region. All previous peace processes brokered by the US and other powers have failed to provide any results and things are going from bad to worse. 

Despite the serious concerns of the world community and the United Nations and the US, the illegal Israeli settlements are still being built, and only in the last three months several Palestinians have lost their lives due to the brutality of Israeli border guards. 

Khawaja Umer Farooq

Jeddah