Pope’s support will echo far beyond Rome

The Vatican’s recognition of a Palestinian state will boost the prospect of a two-state solution

Pope Francis meets Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican. Alberto Pizzoli / AP

Recognition of Palestine by a tiny state that is not even a full member of the United Nations might seem like an inconsequential step towards ending Israel’s long occupation. But when the state involved is the Vatican and the pronouncement comes from Pope Francis, the message will reach hundreds of millions of people.

As The National reported yesterday, the pope referred to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas as "an angel of peace" during his visit to St Peter's ahead of the canonisation of two 19th century Palestinian nuns.

While the Christian minority in the occupied territories has been dwindling, the real import of the pope’s endorsement of Palestinian sovereignty is the way the message will reverberate among the 1.2 billion Catholics across the globe. Millions of the faithful are likely to pressure their own governments to support their spiritual leader’s support for a two-state solution.

Israel’s foreign ministry said it was “disappointed” by the Vatican’s recognition of Palestine, and it would not advance the peace process. But it was the Palestinians’ belief that the peace process is already moribund that caused it to bypass negotiations with Israel in favour of seeking international support.

The Palestinians’ new tactic reflects the increasing schism between attitudes inside and outside Israel. There seems little prospect of progress through direct negotiations after an election during which prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu categorically ruled out a Palestinian state and was rewarded at the ballot box for doing so. He later sought to backtrack on his words but then formed a coalition that is the most hardline in Israel’s history.

However, outside Israel, the recognition of Palestine by the Vatican shows that attitudes are continuing to swing in favour of the Palestinians’ cause. Last November, Sweden became the 135th country – and the first in western Europe – to recognise Palestine. Other European parliaments have passed similar symbolic votes.

Those who advocate non-violent ways to break the impasse on the two-state solution see international opinion as their most powerful weapon. If they are right, having the support of the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion people can only bolster those hopes of creating a just and lasting agreement.