We know, from sources we cannot disclose at present—but whose information is as certain as death and taxes—that Israel and the Vatican are engaged in wide-ranging cooperation. Even as fanatical agitators attack Christians in Jerusalem, successive Israeli governments and Vatican administrations remain bound by agreements set in stone.
Israel and the Vatican are engaged in wide-ranging cooperation
The Vatican is guaranteed control, security and independence in managing holy sites and hotels serving tourists and pilgrims in every city associated with the Gospel tradition. It is a multi-billion-dollar business. In return, the Holy See makes as little fuss as possible over Israeli military operations. Our sources confirm that intelligence is exchanged between the Vatican’s secret service and Israel’s Mossad, alongside financial backing.
The systematic draining of funds
The same sources confirm the draining of Peter’s Pence, described in the dossier as the Vatican’s second bank. They also confirm money changing hands between outside property developers and Israel. In return, Israel guarantees the Vatican a front-row seat in the reconstruction of the notorious “Gaza Resort”.
When a country genuinely opposes a war it neither wanted nor supports, its first move is to recall its ambassadors. Europe, Italy included, has not the slightest intention of doing so. It fully backs the Netanyahu–US line, while—and it pains me to say it—the Vatican is chiefly looking after its own interests on the ground.
Israel and the Vatican
A rupture would send billions of dollars up in smoke. Vatican tour operators would go under overnight, while every site tied to Christian tradition could be lost for good. This is what the Vatican is doing: backing an infamous state to safeguard billions of dollars.
The matter is no longer merely diplomatic. It is moral, economic and even theological. We are not witnessing a cautious Church forced to negotiate in order to protect the faithful. We are watching a vast religious conglomerate defend its assets while Gaza is erased, metre by metre.
What should we demand?
The point is not to demand that the Vatican declare war on Israel. The point is to understand why its grief is doled out in such carefully measured doses. Every word is weighed to ensure it never crosses the line beyond which the real problems begin: permits, property, hotels, pilgrimages, concessions and money. A very great deal of money.
What passes for diplomatic caution is merely the fear of losing privileges accumulated beneath the cloak of faith. Jesus drove the merchants from the Temple. His supposed heirs strike deals with those same merchants in order to retain control of the Temple, the rooms, the tickets and the surrounding shops.
The Gospel preached inside the basilicas becomes a glossy advertising brochure, useful for filling hotel rooms, coaches and coffers.
Israel and the Vatican are engaged in wide-ranging cooperation
Silence is not always peace. Sometimes it is a contract. Diplomacy does not always represent responsibility. Sometimes it is merely the elegant name given to self-interest when conscience becomes too expensive.
Blessings remain free of charge, naturally. Everything surrounding the places where those blessings are bestowed, however, comes with a price tag, an owner and, in all likelihood, a middleman.
The Vatican must publish every economic, property, tourism and operational agreement it has with Israel. It must explain what guarantees it receives, what commitments it has made and which interests it stands to lose if it issues a truly forceful condemnation. Transparency is never a problem when there is nothing to hide.
Billions at stake
These multi-billion-dollar interests are now coming to light, making it impossible to dismiss the matter as yet another example of the Holy See’s diplomatic ambiguity.
We are talking about a Church capable of commemorating the dead, blessing the victims and, at the very same time, protecting the business interests made possible by those who continue to produce those victims.
This is the final transformation of the cross into a shop sign. Christ continues to die, but this time there is a till beside the tabernacle.
© Nazir Houssein