Syria Echoes Pope's Call For Peace in Middle East

DAMASCUS, May 9, 01 (CWNews.com) - Syria followed up on Pope John Paul II's call for resolution to the Middle East conflict during his visit to Damascus this week by offering its support for the idea on Wednesday.

"Syria supports the Pope's assertion that wars and bloodshed will not help achieve anything and that only implementation of the international law and United Nations resolutions, calling for Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Arab lands, will lead to the aspired peace," Ali Abdul-Karim, director general of the official Syrian news agency (SANA) told Reuters news service.

The Holy Father had said in a farewell address at Damascus airport on Tuesday, "I appeal once more to all the peoples involved, and to their political leaders, to recognize that confrontation has failed and will always fail."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been criticized for remarks he made during the papal visit in which he compared Israel to the Jews "responsible" for the crucifixion of Christ. Some Jewish observers have also criticized the Pope for failing to repudiate Assad's assertion.

Syria is still technically at war with Israel despite the launching of peace negotiations in 1991. Sporadic peace talks between the two countries collapsed in January last year without reaching agreement over the Golan Heights, captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 war.

Catholic World News Service - Daily News Briefs
9. mai 2001