Pope in the Holy Land - Peace only possible by compromise

DURING his visit to the Holy Land Pope Benedict XVI pledged to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. Despite this he has been subjected to growing controversy.

A chorus of Israeli critics have accused the German-born Pontiff of not expressing enough remorse for the Holocaust. His earlier calls for the establishment of a Palestinian homeland also threatened to overshadow the visit designed to build bridges between faiths.

Sooner or later Israel is going to have to try live in peace with its dispossessed neighbours and will have to consider compromises that it will find unpalatable if not all-but unacceptable. There is no other way irrespective of how many suicide bombers terrorise Israeli towns and cities.

Whole populations cannot be held accountable for the actions of to terrorists sheltering in their midst. This point was reiterated last week by Foreign Minister Micheál Martin when he told United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon that Israel must be held to account for its actions during the conflict in Gaza.

During a meeting in New York the men discussed a UN report that accused Israel of “reckless disregard” for life by using white phosphorus munitions. Naturally enough Israel described the report as “outrageous”.

Unless that mind-set evolves the region will continue to suffer tragedy after tragedy.