Israel & Palestine
Israeli religious sites are of special interest to the Vatican. After holding up recognition of Israel for 45 years, the Vatican seems to have decided that there was no way around it and has begun pushing hard for concordats. The Vatican has also concluded an agreement with the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which cannot formally be a concordat, as that is a treaty between states.
Valuable religious real estate
The competition over sacred sites plays out daily among the different Christian groups forced to share their shrines. It had also played out over decades among the world religions, especially between the Vatican and Israel, ever since the modern settlement of Jews in the Holy Land.
Sainthood doublecross?
Was Israel tricked into supporting sainthood for Hitler’s pope? An Israeli negotiator and a Catholic theologian both maintain that shortly after World War II the Vatican promised to recognise Israel if their diplomats and politicians would defend Pius XII against charges that he had turned his back on the Jews. (For more about Pius XII and the Jews, see Pope, Concordat and Holocaust.)
Negotiations are now underway for a fourth concordat to fulfill Article 10 § 2 of the Fundamental Agreement.
● Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel (signed 30 December 1993, in force since 10 March 1994)
● Legal Personality Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel (signed 1997, in force since 3 February 1999)
● Basic Agreement between the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (signed and came into force 15 February 2000)
