The Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow, Most Rev. William Nolan, has drawn the attention of the international community to come to the aid of victims of conflict in Gaza.
Information released by the Archdiocese of Glasgow indicated that Archbishop Nolan, who was part of a delegation of Bishops who were in the Holy Land for a five-day working visit, demanded solidarity while urging global support.
“Life here will not improve until the occupation comes to an end” – Archbishop Nolan
The prelate, who took part in a video dialogue with Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, shared his experiences with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
“Life here will not improve until the occupation comes to an end. At the heart of the problem is this: the Palestinians live under a military occupation in the West Bank and in Gaza… we do need them to be given a state of their own,” Archbishop Nolan decried.
Speaking further about worsening inhuman treatments he witnessed, the 72-year-old Bishop said, “We went to visit some Bedouins who are under great pressure… there are Israeli settlers who are causing so much harassment by their violent actions, destroying people’s livelihoods. There’s a campaign to try and disrupt the lives of Palestinians on their land, to encourage them to go away and to disappear. It seems to be left completely unhindered by the authorities.
“Everyone wants peace… if only everyone could realise that the only way to peace is through justice.” Archbishop Nolan
The Bishop, who is the President of Justice and Peace, Scotland, acknowledged that “There are many impressive people here working for justice and peace, and they’re the people that give us hope,” insisting that “Everyone wants peace… if only everyone could realise that the only way to peace is through justice.”
“We come to a country which is traumatised… All sides, whether it’s the Israeli side or the Palestinian side, have been traumatised by years of conflict, and even more so by the atrocities of the 7th of October attacks and then by the Gaza war. It’s very difficult for people, when they’re suffering themselves, to see the pain on the other side,” he said.
