The Palestinian patriarch of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land called in his Easter homily today for religious unity in the Holy Land and an end to deadly military force.
Amid heavy Israeli security, thousands of Christians celebrated Easter in Jerusalem against a backdrop of six-and-a-half months of a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.
"Many put the emphasis today on the right of the stronger, and on the force which can impose itself, through sieges, bombardments or killings," Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah said in an apparent message to Israel.
"All these are means which can destroy houses, kill human persons, but cannot kill the soul of a people, neither wipe off the image of God in any person nor can it kill our hope," the Palestinian patriarch said.
The sermon was released in a statement before delivery in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was crucified and buried. It is in the ancient walled Old City just metres from al-Aqsa mosque, and the Temple Mount, Judaism's most sacred site.
"The resurrection today is an appeal to us believers, and different religions, for more dialogue, for more respect and mutual knowledge...so that faith may become a factor which brings us all together nearer to justice and peace," he said.
"The resurrection is, for us...the struggle of our two peoples in this land, a reminder of the dignity of every human being, of the image of God in all of us, the true basis of all rights and duties...," Sabbah said. "Military force or any other kind of physical force will never cancel these rights, neither can it cancel the image of God.
Sabbah said: "It is time for the political leaders to listen and to obey the words of the Psalmist: 'You, earthly rulers, learn your lesson. In fear be submissive to God...lest he be angry and your way come to nothing' (Psalms 2:10)."