Cardinal Pizzaballa called for a new narrative to counter the entrenched hatred fueling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Newsroom (10/09/2025, Gaudium Press )Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has attributed the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip to years of dehumanizing rhetoric, urging a shift toward language that fosters hope and reconciliation. In a poignant video message delivered during the Venice Film Festival, Pizzaballa called for a new narrative to counter the entrenched hatred fueling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The cardinal’s remarks coincided with the festival’s awarding of the Silver Lion prize to Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s film The Voice of Hind Rajab, which chronicles the tragic death of a 5-year-old girl killed in Gaza in 2024. The film’s recognition brought renewed attention to the human toll of the conflict.
“We’re so overwhelmed by pain that there seems to be no room for the pain of others,” Pizzaballa said, reflecting on the cycle of destruction and loss. He described a “climate of deep hatred” that has taken root among both Israelis and Palestinians, manifesting not only in physical violence but also in the language used to describe one another.
“I believe that the violence we are witnessing is also the result of years of violent and dehumanizing language,” he stated. “If others are dehumanized through language, creating a culture, a way of thinking, the transition to actual physical violence is only a matter of time, and unfortunately, we are witnessing it.”
Pizzaballa emphasized that ending the war is critical but insufficient to resolve the deeper hostilities. “This war must end as soon as possible. We know it makes no sense to continue it,” he said. “But we know that the end of the war we long for … will not mark the end of the hostility, of the pain this hostility will cause.”
He called on believers and cultural influencers to “work hard” to craft a different narrative, one that rejects the radical and extremist rhetoric dominating the discourse. “We have left the narrative to the radicals, to the extremists on both sides,” he noted. “Instead, we must have the courage of a different language, one that opens horizons, that opens new paths.”
Pizzaballa concluded with a plea for collective action: “This is what I hope for, and I believe it is possible … we need your help.” His message underscores the urgent need for a cultural shift to break the cycle of violence and foster a path toward peace.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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