Vatican And Israel Make Progress On Property And Tax Issues
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
(JTA) — The Vatican and Israel may finally be ready to resolve outstanding bilateral issues and fully finalize the Fundamental Agreement governing relations between the two states.
A joint statement issued Wednesday following a meeting the previous day at the Vatican of the Bilateral Permanent Working Commission between the Holy See and the State of Israel expressed hope for a “rapid conclusion” of decades-long talks.
“The Plenary was pleased with the progress accomplished at the working level regarding the negotiations, and the cordial atmosphere in which the meetings took place,” the statement said. “The outcomes of today’s Plenary give hope for a rapid conclusion of ongoing negotiations and the signing of the document.”
The accord would establish the juridical rights of the Catholic Church in Israel as well as regulate property and taxation issues.
Though the Fundamental Agreement establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and the Holy See was signed in 1993, these issues have remained unresolved despite years of fitful negotiations.
The meeting Tuesday was headed by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, Undersecretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States, and by Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel’s Minister for Regional Cooperation.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
