In Long-anticipated Move, Vatican and PLO Establish Ties

In a move that has been expected for some time, the Vatican this week established ties with the Palestine Liberation Organization.

“I don’t think there is any negative element,” said Avi Granot, counselor for church affairs at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, noting that Israel itself has ties with the PLO.

“If anything, I can see the positive aspect of the Vatican having relations with everyone in the region and working toward the promotion of peace and friendship,” said Granot.

“It is all for the good,” said Eugene Fisher, director of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“The more contacts that are peaceful, the better,” he said.

Under terms agreed upon Tuesday morning in Vatican City, the PLO will open an office at the Holy See, and the apostolic nuncio in Tunisia, long-time home of the PLO, will be responsible for contacts with leaders of the PLO.

The ties fall short of full diplomatic relations.

The Vatican-PLO talks began almost immediately after the Vatican’s establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel last December.

They were concluded this week by Abdul Lateef Abu Hijleh, director-general of the PLO’s political department, and Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for the Holy See’s relations with states.

In a statement reported by the Vatican Information Service, Vatican Press Officer Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the relations “sought a way to give a permanent and official character to ‘work contacts’ which had existed for many years.”

He added that the Vatican and the PLO had established “stable and official relations,” not “true and proper diplomatic relations.”

In a joint communique, the Vatican and the PLO said their increased dialogue is designed “to enable both parties to contribute jointly to the search for peace and justice which is proceeding in the Middle East.”

The Vatican spokesman, in his statement, said the Vatican had not changed its stand regarding unresolved issues in the Middle East, including “the situation of the Palestinian people” and “the question of an adequate status for the holy city of Jerusalem.”

Among the areas of PLO-Vatican collaboration he outlined are “a further possibility for the Catholic Church to perform its spiritual, educational and social mission in favor of Palestinian Catholics and all Palestinians,” support for the peace process “and encouragement above all for the leaders who wish it and who maintain moderate behavior.”