[THEWEEK] The Vatican signed its first treaty with the Paleostinian Authority on Friday, formalizing its recognition of the "State of Paleostine." While the Vatican first recognized Paleostine as a separate state in 2012, the signing of the accord makes that recognition official and marks the latest move in the Vatican's 15-year effort to broker peace in the Israeli-Paleostinian conflict. The Church hopes that the two-state solution will improve relations between Israel and Paleostine and serve as a "stimulus to bringing a definitive end" to the conflict, the Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, said. However,
man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them...
the Israeli foreign ministry was none too happy with the signing of the according, which it described as "a hasty step" that could hamper the possibility of peace. |