Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20220209

A30 world news
Diaranson 9 Februari 2022

Israeli forces kill 3 suspected militants in West Bank city

Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah par- sions in dangerous situations. Settlers have also carried out
ty. a number of attacks recently
Israeli Prime Minister Naf- against Palestinians and Is-
The militant group said the tali Bennett issued a brief raeli activists, causing injuries
three men are “heroic mar- statement saying the opera- and property damage but no
tyrs” and vowed revenge. In a tion had proved that “there is fatalities.
statement, it identified them no immunity for terrorists,”
as Ashraf al-Mubaslat, Ad- adding that “whoever harms Israel captured the West Bank
ham Mabrouk and Moham- us — will be harmed.” in the 1967 Mideast war, and
med al-Dakhil, without giv- Palestinians want it to form
ing their ages. It corrected an Defense Minister Benny the main part of their future
earlier statement that gave a Gantz congratulated the se- state. Nearly 500,000 Jewish
different name for one of the curity forces and said he had settlers reside in the territory
men. recently ordered stepped-up alongside more than 2.5 mil-
security in the area. “We will lion Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority, continue our proactive op-
which governs parts of the erations, and we will thwart The Palestinians view the
(AP) — Israel says security assault rifles on them they occupied West Bank, con- and catch anyone who tries settlements as the main ob-
forces killed three Pales- did not fire them. “During demned the shooting of the to harm human life,” he said. stacle to peace and most of
tinian militants in the oc- the arrest, they tried to open three men and called for an the international community
cupied West Bank city of fire and were neutralized,” international investigation. Recent weeks have seen a considers them illegal. Israel
Nablus on Tuesday who the police said. number of stabbing and views the West Bank as the
had been responsible for Palestinians and rights groups shooting attacks by Palestin- biblical and historical heart-
recent shooting attacks. Photos of the three men cir- often accuse Israel of using ians in the West Bank. An land of the Jewish people.
culating online show them excessive force and of kill- Israeli settler was shot dead
The Shin Bet internal secu- posing with assault rifles, ing attackers who could have near a settlement outpost in Peace talks ground to a halt
rity agency initially said they with one wearing a headband been safely detained. Israel December. Israel arrested more than a decade ago, but
were killed in a “clash,” but of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Bri- says its forces strive to avoid four suspects in that shooting the PA and Israel cooperate
police later acknowledged gade, an armed group loosely unnecessary casualties but days later. on security and other mat-
that while the men had two tied to Palestinian President must make split-second deci- ters.

Retired pope asks pardon for abuse, but admits no wrongdoing

(AP) — Retired Pope predecessors and successors, Benedict issued what he ed to his church,” the group ers and essentially say the
Benedict XVI asked for- estimating there had been at called a “confession,” though said. simple sentence: ’I incurred
giveness Tuesday for any least 497 abuse victims over he didn’t confess to any spe- guilt, I made mistakes and I
“grievous faults” in his the decades and at least 235 cific fault. He recalled that The retired pope’s response apologize to those affected,’”
handling of clergy sex suspected perpetrators. daily Mass begins with be- will likely complicate efforts Baetzing said.
abuse cases, but denied lievers confessing their sins by German bishops to try to
any personal or specific The Vatican on Tuesday re- and asking forgiveness even re-establish credibility with But in a tweet Tuesday, Baetz-
wrongdoing after an inde- leased a letter that Benedict for“grievous faults.” Bene- the faithful, whose demands ing only noted that Benedict
pendent report criticized wrote to respond to the al- dict noted that in his meet- for accountability have only had responded.
his actions in four cases legations, alongside a more ings with abuse victims while increased after decades of
while he was archbishop technical reply from his law- he was pope, “I have seen abuse and cover-up. ”I am grateful to him for
of Munich, Germany. yers who had provided an firsthand the effects of a most that and he deserves respect
initial 82-page response to grievous fault. The head of the German for it,” Baetzing wrote. The
Benedict’s lack of a personal the law firm about his nearly bishops conference, Lim- tweet didn’t address the sub-
apology or admission of guilt five-year tenure in Munich. “And I have come to under- burg Bishop Georg Baetz- stance of Benedict’s response.
immediately riled sex abuse stand that we ourselves are ing, had previously said that
survivors, who said his re- The conclusion of Benedict’s drawn into this grievous fault Benedict needed to respond The law firm report identi-
sponse reflected the Catholic lawyers was resolute: “As an whenever we neglect it or fail to the report by distancing fied four cases in which Ratz-
hierarchy’s “permanent” re- archbishop, Cardinal Ratz- to confront it with the neces- himself from his lawyers and inger was accused of miscon-
fusal to accept responsibility inger was not involved in any sary decisiveness and respon- advisers. “He must talk, and duct in failing to act against
for the rape and sodomy of cover-up of acts of abuse,” sibility, as too often happened he must override his advis- abusers.
children by priests. they wrote. They criticized and continues to happen,”
the report’s authors for mis- he wrote. “As in those meet-
Benedict, 94, was respond- interpreting their submis- ings, once again I can only
ing to a Jan. 20 report from sion, and asserted that they express to all the victims of
a German law firm that had provided no evidence that sexual abuse my profound
been commissioned by the Benedict was aware of the shame, my deep sorrow and
German Catholic Church to criminal history of any of the my heartfelt request for for-
look into how cases of sexual four priests. giveness.”
abuse were handled in the
Munich archdiocese between Benedict’s response was His response drew swift criti-
1945 and 2019. Benedict, more nuanced and spiritual, cism from Eckiger Tisch, a
the former Cardinal Joseph though he went on at length group representing German
Ratzinger, headed the arch- to thank his legal team before clergy abuse survivors, who
diocese from 1977 to 1982. even addressing the allega- said it fit into the church’s
tions or the abuse victims. “permanent relativizing on
The report faulted Benedict’s matters of abuse — wrong-
handling of four cases dur- “I have had great responsibil- doing and mistakes took
ing his time as archbishop, ities in the Catholic Church,” place, but no one takes con-
accusing him of miscon- Benedict said. “All the greater crete responsibility.”
duct for having failed to re- is my pain for the abuses and
strict the ministry of the four the errors that occurred in Benedict “can’t bring himself
priests even after they had those different places during simply to state that he is sor-
been convicted criminally. the time of my mandate.” ry not to have done more to
The report also faulted his protect the children entrust-