Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06VATICAN69
2006-04-21 09:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vatican
Cable title:
POPE CONDEMNS TEL AVIV ATTACK
how-toVZCZCXRO0348 PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHSR DE RUEHROV #0069 1110918 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 210918Z APR 06 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0309 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHVV/ISLAMIC CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0026 RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0023 RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0337
C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000069
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/21/2016
TAGS: PTER IS PHUM VT OVIP
SUBJECT: POPE CONDEMNS TEL AVIV ATTACK
REF: MARTIN-LARREA EMAILS APR 6, 20
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000069
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/21/2016
TAGS: PTER IS PHUM VT OVIP
SUBJECT: POPE CONDEMNS TEL AVIV ATTACK
REF: MARTIN-LARREA EMAILS APR 6, 20
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (U) Pope Benedict XVI strongly condemned the April 17
terrorist attack in Tel Aviv, declaring that "it is not through
such execrable acts that one safeguards rights, however
legitimate, of a people." After offering his "strongest
condemnation" of the attack April 19, the pope expressed the
hope that the Israelis and Palestinians would "resume steps"
towards living in peace and security~as sons of the same father
in heaven."
2. (C) Comment: The pope's statement, delivered at an overflow
weekly audience attended by tens of thousands of pilgrims -- and
House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde --
was a strong rebuke from the pontiff on the first anniversary of
his election as pope. Recent conversations with Holy See
officials indicate close attention to Hamas on the part of the
Vatican. Holy See MFA Middle East Director Franco Coppola told
us before the Vatican's Easter holiday that the Vatican had not
been approached by Hamas for any official contact. (He
confirmed ref email's explanation of contact between the Custody
of the Holy Land (run by the Franciscan order) and Hamas as
purely technical in nature and not connected to Vatican
diplomacy.)
3. (C) In the same conversation before the Tel Aviv attack,
Coppola was sympathetic to the USG position on diplomatic
contact with Hamas and was fully supportive of the necessity
that the group accept the three principles: recognition of
Israel, non-violence, and respect for previous agreements
between the parties. He did add, however, that in general the
Vatican's official policy is to speak to "anyone who is willing
to speak" in an effort to lead hostile parties to a more
constructive path. We reiterated USG thinking on contact with
Hamas, but Coppola did not categorically rule out future contact
with the group.
ROONEY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/21/2016
TAGS: PTER IS PHUM VT OVIP
SUBJECT: POPE CONDEMNS TEL AVIV ATTACK
REF: MARTIN-LARREA EMAILS APR 6, 20
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (U) Pope Benedict XVI strongly condemned the April 17
terrorist attack in Tel Aviv, declaring that "it is not through
such execrable acts that one safeguards rights, however
legitimate, of a people." After offering his "strongest
condemnation" of the attack April 19, the pope expressed the
hope that the Israelis and Palestinians would "resume steps"
towards living in peace and security~as sons of the same father
in heaven."
2. (C) Comment: The pope's statement, delivered at an overflow
weekly audience attended by tens of thousands of pilgrims -- and
House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde --
was a strong rebuke from the pontiff on the first anniversary of
his election as pope. Recent conversations with Holy See
officials indicate close attention to Hamas on the part of the
Vatican. Holy See MFA Middle East Director Franco Coppola told
us before the Vatican's Easter holiday that the Vatican had not
been approached by Hamas for any official contact. (He
confirmed ref email's explanation of contact between the Custody
of the Holy Land (run by the Franciscan order) and Hamas as
purely technical in nature and not connected to Vatican
diplomacy.)
3. (C) In the same conversation before the Tel Aviv attack,
Coppola was sympathetic to the USG position on diplomatic
contact with Hamas and was fully supportive of the necessity
that the group accept the three principles: recognition of
Israel, non-violence, and respect for previous agreements
between the parties. He did add, however, that in general the
Vatican's official policy is to speak to "anyone who is willing
to speak" in an effort to lead hostile parties to a more
constructive path. We reiterated USG thinking on contact with
Hamas, but Coppola did not categorically rule out future contact
with the group.
ROONEY