With the start of the new school year in the Terra Sancta schools in the Holy Land, the students face a difficult situation due to the worsening conditions in the West Bank, aggravated by the ongoing war in Gaza. Despite these challenges, the young people have kept hope alive and opted for the motto ‘Peace’ to express their wishes for the new scholastic year, with a feeling of grief and suffering, hoping that the war will soon come to an end. It is a modest but important wish is the resumption of tranquility and daily routine.

 Br. Ibrahim Faltas, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land says,  “Our educational institutions are places of peace. We educate our children to live in harmony. Today, the students wrote their wishes on white balloons, expressing how they feel and what their wishes symbolize this year. All agreed on the message of peace. No one tolerates injustice, no retaliation, no one loves devastation. No one desires what is happening at this time. Everyone wishes peace. There are 18 schools connected to the Custody of the Holy Land. In the schools of the Holy Land, students are taught the principles of peace.”

He adds, “Our aim and the aspiration of every individual in the world is for this country to experience and grasp peace, this city that promotes coexistence between three religions. There is no place in the world like this metropolis and its magnificence, which should serve as an example of coexistence, tranquility and affection. Without tranquility in this holy city, there is no serenity anywhere in the world. We call upon and implore God for peace to triumph throughout the world, especially in this holy city, the center of conflict.”

On the other hand, Br. George Haddad, director of Terra Santa School in Bethlehem, say: “With the start of the new academic year, after about a year of conflict in Gaza and the difficult situation we are experiencing in the West Bank, there are new elements, a new situation we are facing. Especially here in Bethlehem, where unfortunately 90 per cent of resident families have lost their income, and this has also affected our situation here at school. Despite all the adversities and obstacles that the monks of the Custody of the Holy Land have faced over the centuries, they have remained resolute in carrying out their sacred mission with unwavering determination. In the face of crises and wars, they have not flinched from their task of protecting sacred sites and caring for the local community.”

He adds, “Our main aim as Franciscan monks is to maintain the right to education and to spread this message to every child. We continue this generosity as it is a divine gift and we in turn pass on this kindness and share it with others. May the strict security conditions that students experience during their education be an incentive for them to be peacemakers in the future.”