The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal said the construction of a concrete wall between the Jewish and the Arab neighbourhoods of Jerusalem saddens locals and disfigures the face of the holy city.
“It is really something out of this world, and part of the policy of dividing the holy city and making even the access to holy places difficult,” Italian Fides news agency reported Twal as saying in the Vatican.
The Israeli government has decided to construct a concrete wall between the Arab neighbourhood of Jabel Mukaber and the Jewish settlement of Armon Hanatziv, Israeli Radio reported.
“In a democratic country any criminal act is punishable by law, and when the judge issues the sentence everyone accepts it. Now all civilians in Israel have been given the green light to shoot. There are extra-judicial killings and lynchings. And the disproportionate use of force is always a sign of weakness. A clear mind is needed to recognise and remove the causes of this new wave of violence, and together defend the profile of Jerusalem as a city of peace, for the good of all,” Twal said.