Pope boosts Palestinian cause

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The Vatican has announced that it will soon sign a treaty that will recognize Palestinian statehood.

Pope Francis’ decision to approve the treaty with the Palestinians made the Holy See the 136th state to recognize Palestine, but in moral terms the move counted for a good deal more than that. Since the U.S.-led Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed last year, the Palestinian leadership has concentrated on strengthening its position in the world by diplomacy, fortifying its claim to sovereignty. Vatican recognition is a big boost to that effort.

The pope is the spiritual leader for the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. About 60,000 Christians live in Palestine, some of whom are Catholic. Although Pope Francis has worked closely with Jewish religious leaders and taken pains not to be viewed as anti-Semitic, his moral recognition of Palestine also indicates his position on Palestinian rights to land and its own state.

Israel’s new government

The Vatican’s action preceded by a day the installation of Israel’s new coalition government, following the March 17 elections. The five-party coalition that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assembled ... firmly opposes negotiations toward a two-state, Israel-Palestine settlement of the long-standing problem.