Middle East Press On: Psychology, Palestinian State, Pope Leo: New Age Islam's Selection, 12 May 2025
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
12 May 2025
How Hamas Exploits Psychology to Harm Israel from Within and Abroad
History Will Judge Netanyahu and Trump On Whether They Can Keep US-Israel Ties Ironclad
Israel Must Consider If It Can Rely On Trump Whose Choices Seem Driven by Personal Gain
Britain Recognizing a Palestinian State Would Be Grotesque, Enshrine Terror
Normalization Between Al Sharaa's Syria, Israel Possible After Decades of Hostilities
Pope Leo’s First Visit Should Be to Gaza
-----
How Hamas Exploits Psychology to Harm Israel from Within and Abroad
By Irwin J. (Yitzchak) Mansdorf
May 12, 2025
One of the most basic insights in behavioural psychology is that people are wired to respond to immediate rewards even if those carry long-term consequences. Whether it’s eating another slice of cake, smoking a harmful cigarette, or running a red light, we tend to act when the benefit is now and the price is later. If the reward feels good enough and the threat seems distant enough, we take the risk.
This is not just human nature. It’s a weapon; one that Hamas has used masterfully in its psychological war against Israel and the West over the past 18 months.
With the help of Iranian and Qatari backers, Hamas has turned hostage diplomacy into a psychological trap. The emotional appeal of bringing hostages home – a deeply human desire – has become the bait. The cost? A stronger, bolder, more dangerous Hamas, just as ideologically committed to Israel’s destruction as ever.
And the trap is working.
In Israel, fatigue from the ongoing war has begun to show.
Reservists still show up, but morale is fraying as the burden falls unevenly across society. Public discourse is dominated by the plight of the hostages. Families appear on TV daily. Emotional appeals grip the nation. Understandably, the public pressure to “do something” grows – and Hamas knows this. That’s why, every few weeks, another hostage video surfaces, precisely timed to stoke hope, pain, and division.
The price of a deal with Hamas
Every potential deal with Hamas carries a price. And the terror organization ensures that the price is steep. Within Israel, a moral rift is deepening. For some, particularly hostage families, nothing matters more than bringing loved ones home. For others, the memory of October 7 and the desire to ensure it never happens again means defeating Hamas, even at terrible cost.
This is the heart of our moral dilemma: Two values – both legitimate – that feel increasingly irreconcilable.
Hamas is exploiting this divide with precision. One day, it offers a temporary hudna (“ceasefire”). The next, it releases a hostage video. All the while, it plays the victim: children under rubble, hospitals without power, shelters destroyed. The images are tragic – but they also serve a purpose. The responsibility, they suggest, lies not with Hamas, but with Israel.
Incredibly, many Israelis, who despise Hamas and all it stands for, fall into this psychological trap. Instead of demanding that Hamas release the hostages unconditionally, as international law requires, public anger often turns inward, toward the Israeli government. It is a striking success of Hamas’s psychologically asymmetric strategy.
The same is true in the West. There, the dominant narrative is one of Israeli oppression and “genocide” in Gaza. This narrative is a result of years of emotional manipulation and moral confusion.
Headlines show starving children and suffering patients, rarely acknowledging Hamas’s role in initiating the conflict or continuing to hold innocent Israelis captive. The moral burden shifts to Israel, while the terrorists evade accountability.
What does this all mean? First, we must take a more sober view of the reality we’re in. The moral imperative to rescue living hostages is real – but so is the government’s duty to protect its citizens from future atrocities.
These are not easy choices. But they are not mutually exclusive either. We must stop demonizing decisions we disagree with and start appreciating the weight of the dilemma.
Second, we must recognize that Hamas is watching us, learning about us, and playing us.
Militarily, we may be stronger. But on the psychological battlefield, Hamas currently holds the emotional upper hand. That’s how it continues to manipulate public opinion, both in Israel and in the West.
Our protests, our discourse, and our divisions have become tools in the hands of our enemy. Israelis must consider not just what they are demanding, but how those demands are expressed.
In the West, those who value freedom, justice, and moral clarity must understand that the same tactics Hamas uses against Israel can – and will – be used against them too.
The threat is not only to Israel’s resolve. It is to the moral fabric of democratic societies that fall for the easy narratives of victimhood.
Psychological warfare is still warfare. And if we want to win – not just the battles but also the war – we must start by understanding the battlefield we’re actually on.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-853582
------
History Will Judge Netanyahu and Trump On Whether They Can Keep Us-Israel Ties Ironclad
By Jpost Editorial
May 12, 2025
President Donald Trump’s impending swing through Riyadh, Doha, and Abu Dhabi arrives amid chatter – much of it anonymous – that the United States and Israel are drifting apart over Gaza strategy, Iran diplomacy, and regional architecture.
Israelis under constant rocket fire, and Americans who still remember October 7 have no patience for rumor-mill theatrics. They expect the two leaders who did the “impossible” once before – recognizing Jerusalem, securing the Golan Heights, and birthing the Abraham Accords – to rise above ego, align their clocks, and finish the job that history assigned them: defeating the jihadist axis and stabilizing the Middle East.
NBC News, citing a grab-bag of unnamed officials, said on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is furious at Trump’s negotiations with Tehran and that the president bristles at expanded IDF operations in Gaza. That story ricocheted worldwide, feeding a narrative of estrangement.
Within hours, however, three voices with actual proximity to both men issued blunt rebuttals. Former US ambassador David Friedman declared on X: “There is NO RIFT between President Trump and PM Netanyahu. Those who say otherwise are feeding false accounts.” Conservative host Mark R. Levin warned that “isolationists and media” in both countries were leaking lies to split the allies. And Trump’s new envoy in Jerusalem, Mike Huckabee, dismissed the affair as “nonsense from sources who don’t put their name on it,” adding, “The partnership is STRONG.”
Who to believe – officials who attach signatures or ghosts whispering through keyholes? Israelis and Americans can take comfort in the track record: since Trump’s return to the White House in January, bilateral military and intelligence channels have never been busier, senior envoys shuttle weekly, and joint planning has extended from Rafah to the Red Sea. Private disagreements inevitably flare; the measure of an alliance is how they are managed, not whether they exist.
The coming days will test that management on three interconnected fronts: 1. Defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages; 2. Stopping Iran’s dash to the bomb; 3. Expanding regional normalization.
The skeptics forget how many times experts said something “could never happen” until it did. Moving the US embassy to Jerusalem? Impossible. Recognizing the Golan? Reckless. Securing Arab normalization without solving the Palestinian file? Delusional. All three occurred because Trump and Netanyahu fused political will with policy creativity. The same playbook can work again, provided each side resists domestic temptations to score points at the other’s expense.
Netanyahu’s coalition partners relish tough rhetoric; Trump’s populist base revels in “America First” flourishes. Yet both audiences respect strength and results more than theatrical brinkmanship.
Practical steps matter. The prime minister should keep war‑cabinet debates behind closed doors and refrain from leaking frustrations about ceasefire proposals to sympathetic columnists. The president should avoid surprise press statements that leave Israeli officials scrambling to reconcile on-the-ground realities with Washington sound bites. Above all, both leaders must empower their envoys to finalize joint contingency plans for Gaza, Lebanon, and the Gulf. When professionals solve problems, politicians share credit.
Polls show overwhelming bipartisan support in the US for Israel’s right to eliminate Hamas, coupled with impatience for a coherent day-after plan. Israeli polls mirror that dual demand: finish the war decisively, then lock in a sustainable regional architecture. Those expectations contain no contradictions – unless leaders allow personal pride to manufacture them.
Israel and the United States are bound not merely by interests but by values: democracy, innovation, and the conviction that free peoples must defeat totalitarians who glorify death. Trump likes to boast that he breaks diplomatic norms; Netanyahu prides himself on defying strategic fatalism. Here is their chance to channel that shared contrarian streak into renewed partnership.
Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister: the free world has enough adversaries. Do not hand them a propaganda win. Stride into this visit as teammates, emerge with a clearer path to finish Hamas, freeze Iran’s nuclear program, and expand peace in the region. Your own citizens will judge you by whether you seized this moment to keep the US-Israel bond iron-clad.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-853578
----
Israel Must Consider If It Can Rely On Trump Whose Choices Seem Driven By Personal Gain
By Michael J. Salamon
May 12, 2025
In January, we reported that America’s shifting interests could become problematic for Israel just as they had with Ukraine. Now, US President Donald Trump’s recent moves in the Middle East are raising serious questions about his priorities when it comes to Israel. While a Trump-brokered ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthi rebels, reportedly facilitated by Oman, might sound like a step toward regional stability, the fact that Israel was allegedly kept in the dark is deeply concerning.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Trump administration is reporting allegations of arrogance from Netanyahu much like those seen against Zelensky. Additionally, Trump is visiting Qatar and Saudi Arabia on his current trip to the region, pointedly skipping a visit to Israel. Is this a calculated snub, or is something more troubling at play?
The rumor mill is churning with whispers of a potential quid pro quo. Some sources suggest that Qatari officials may have swayed Trump’s stance on the Houthis by hinting at pulling out of a lucrative construction deal with the Trump Organization. The Omanis’ gain from the ceasefire is not yet clear.
Also reported is Trump’s acceding to the Saudi demand to unlink Israel from any deals. While some of the allegations remain unconfirmed, they fit a disturbing pattern of behavior we’ve seen from Trump, who has often blurred the lines between personal profit and diplomatic duty.
Trump’s extensive business empire has always been a breeding ground for potential conflicts of interest. As The New York Times reported in 2017, “Mr. Trump will retain ownership of his business empire, a decision that ethics experts say creates potential conflicts of interest on a scale never before seen in an American president.” His continued involvement in international business ventures, even after leaving office in 2020, raises legitimate concerns about his motivations and allegiances.
Remember the controversy surrounding the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC? Foreign dignitaries and lobbyists flocked to the hotel, spending lavishly in what many saw as an attempt to curry favor with the administration. As reported by The Washington Post, “The Trump International Hotel quickly became a Republican power center and a symbol of the ethical morass of the Trump administration.”
And now, if you have half a million dollars, you can join an exclusive club called “The Executive Branch,” started by Donald Trump Jr., clearly to buy influence in the government. It has also been reported that a $5 million donation to the right individuals can afford you a private meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where he spends most weekends golfing. These are just a few examples of how Trump’s financial interests have the potential to influence his decisions on the world stage.
It’s not just about clubs, hotels, and real estate.
Trump’s foray into the world of cryptocurrency has also raised eyebrows. His involvement with various bitcoin-related ventures has sparked concerns about potential financial entanglements and their impact on his policy decisions. Abu Dhabi has invested $2 billion in Trump’s World Liberty Financial bitcoin. As Bloomberg noted, “Trump’s embrace of crypto raises questions about potential conflicts, given the industry’s regulatory uncertainty.”
Many observers believe that Trump’s policies and vision are increasingly erratic and transactionally based. His recent meeting with the Canadian prime minister, for instance, was marked by unusual behavior and rambling statements, raising questions about his focus and judgment.
The reported deal with the Houthis is a strategic gift to Iran. Framed as de-escalation, the move instead signals a decline in strategic resolve, emboldens Iran and its regional proxies, and introduces a damaging fissure in the US-Israel defense architecture.
Has Israel been sidelined by the US?
A Wall Street Journal report indicates that the Trump administration has disassociated itself from Israel in hostage negotiations and Iran talks. Essentially Israel has been sidelined by the United States.
The Trump administration must know that regional peace cannot emerge from indecision or half-measures. It will come only through sustained pressure, interoperable joint force operations, and a coherent strategy to degrade – and ultimately dismantle – the Iranian-Houthi threat network. Absent a synchronized, multi-domain campaign plan, the US risks ceding the initiative to Tehran’s benefit and at the expense of long-term regional security.
The Israeli public has every right to wonder whether Trump’s commitments to its nation are contingent on his personal financial interests and promises that he has been known to break. Can Israel truly rely on a leader whose decisions appear to be driven by personal gain? This is a question that deserves serious consideration.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-853567
------
Britain Recognizing A Palestinian State Would Be Grotesque, Enshrine Terror
By Catherine Perez-Shakdam
May 12, 2025
Let’s be clear: we are suffering from a crisis of courage. A number of British MPs, no doubt jostling for the moral high ground in an increasingly unanchored political theater, have written to the prime minister, urging him to recognize the State of Palestine.
Now, one might admire the symmetry of the sentiment, if not its timing. The ink has barely dried on intelligence briefings detailing how agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plotted to attack Israeli targets on British soil. Hamas flags have been paraded within a stone’s throw of synagogues. British Jews have been assaulted for wearing Stars of David, their children intimidated, and their places of worship defaced.
And yet, as these shadows lengthen over the Diaspora, we are told by the self-appointed architects of “balance” that the time has come for Britain to extend the laurels of sovereignty to a regime, or regimes, that cannot even recognize their own culpability, let alone Israel’s legitimacy.
Let’s call this what it is: not compromise, but capitulation. Not diplomacy, but dereliction.
We are urged to believe – sweetly, naively, as children might believe in the tooth fairy – that recognizing a fragmented, terror-glorifying, rejectionist, pseudo-state will “send the right message.”
Yes, it will: to Tehran, to Gaza, to the basements of Brussels, to the salafist mosques of Luton and Tower Hamlets. It will say, “Keep going. Britain rewards persistence. Britain rewards pressure. Britain rewards blood.”
I write today not as an analyst or even a director of Britain’s leading advocacy group for Israel, but as a woman scandalized by moral cowardice parading in the finery of statesmanship.
These MPs speak of a two-state solution as if it were a sacred chalice stolen from the altar of peace. But there is nothing remotely sacred about extending statehood to an entity whose leading factions lionize the murder of civilians, whose educational materials teach that Jews are pigs, and whose internal politics are governed less by the ballot than by the bullet.
Let us not be deceived by the fiction that these calls are benign. That they are about “restoring balance.” Because radicalism does not stop at one appointed target. Today, it is the Jews. Tomorrow, it will be the Christians. The Hindus. The LGBTQ+ community. The unveiled woman. The opinionated student. The journalist. The teacher. The father who says “no.”
The character of radicals
RADICALS ARE not known for nuance. They do not discriminate in their hatreds. When the knife is unsheathed, it does not ask about the victim’s politics. The bullet fired from a tunnel in Gaza or from a terrorist’s weapon in Vienna does not pause mid-air to consider intersectionality.
These MPs have, in fact, offered the illusion of compassion to those who, given the chance, would tear down every institution that grants them the very right to speak so sanctimoniously. It is not peace they advocate but appeasement. And appeasement is not virtue. Appeasement is cowardice dressed as reason.
The Torah, that ancient moral compass too often ignored by those keen to moralize at Israel’s expense, reminds us: “Do not pervert justice by showing partiality to the poor or by favoring the great, but judge your neighbor fairly” (Leviticus 19:15). And again, “Do not stand idly by while your neighbor’s blood is shed” (Leviticus 19:16).
No verse says, “Turn a blind eye to murder if the murderer has a grievance.” Nor is there a commandment that reads, “Reward the violent, lest you be seen as unkind.”
In fact, the tradition is far clearer on the inverse: “He who is kind to the cruel, ends up being cruel to the kind.” Compassion for the guilty, when exercised at the expense of the innocent, is not compassion at all. It is treachery dressed in virtue’s robes.
So I ask those who have signed this missive to the prime minister: Which part of the innocent are you defending? The kidnapped Israeli child in a tunnel? The Jewish teenager too afraid to wear a Star of David on the streets of Manchester? The family hiding behind CCTV and mezuzahs that must be glued on with trembling hands?
Or are you now content to let the pendulum swing so far toward performative parity that you’ll leave those communities to the wolves?
The answer is clear. Recognition now – before peace, before disarmament, before even a basic reckoning with reality – is not a gesture of hope. It is a dog whistle to the very radicals you claim to stand against. It will not protect the innocent. It will not strengthen the West. It will not quiet the storm. It will feed it.
To recognize a Palestinian state today, under these conditions, is not only premature. It is grotesque. It is to enshrine terror. It emboldens those who hate and betrays those we claim to protect.
So I say to those who still possess a spine in this Parliament: speak now. Refuse this moral betrayal. Defend those whose voices are growing fainter under the din of ideological theatrics. If you remain silent, the time will come when there is no one left to speak – not for the Jews, not for the vulnerable, not even for you.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-853571
------
Normalization Between Al Sharaa's Syria, Israel Possible After Decades Of Hostilities
By Neville Teller
May 12, 2025
When US President Donald Trump visits the region later this week, he will find that the Middle East has changed considerably since the last time he was here in May 2017. For example, the long half-century of autocratic Assad family rule in Syria is over. Today, the nation is living with a new reality, and the rest of the world is trying to come to terms with it.
First among the confusing issues are the true intentions of the man who swept down from the north, leading his highly trained militia, and overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad in a matter of days. Known then as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, and invariably pictured in uniform, he has since cast aside both his military persona and his name.
He now dresses in statesmanlike suits and calls himself Ahmed al-Sharaa. Appointed Syria’s interim president in January 2025, he formed a transitional government in March, suspended the Assad-era constitution, produced an interim one, and pledged to draft a new constitution within a few years.
The interim constitution commits the nation’s governance to unity and inclusivity, explicitly pledges to maintain freedom of opinion and expression, and establishes a People’s Committee to function as an interim parliament.
On March 10, three days before Sharaa signed it, he signed a landmark agreement with the leader of the Syrian Defense Forces (SDF), Gen. Mazloum Abdi. The SDF was in effective control of Rojava, the Kurdish-occupied area in northern Syria.
The agreement recognizes the Kurdish community as an integral part of the Syrian nation. It stipulates that the Kurdish-led SDF is to be integrated into the nation’s military forces, and that all Rojavan civil and military institutions will merge with new state institutions.
This joint decision has potentially vast implications. Syria’s new constitution, when it eventually appears, could propose a situation akin to that in Iraq, where a Kurdish-majority area has been recognized as a federal entity and accorded autonomy within the constitution.
Sharaa’s agreement with the SDF seems to substantiate his declared intention to rule over a pluralistic society. He has promised amnesty for most former regime loyalists, and assured religious minorities that he will safeguard their rights. He has also stated that the new Syria would not be used as a launchpad for attacks on neighboring countries, including Israel.
Many in government and the media inevitably remain highly skeptical about Sharaa’s intentions, believing that the leopard cannot change its spots. They look back at his history and see only a dyed-in-the-wool jihadist.
Sharaa's life across Middle East
BORN IN Riyadh in 1982 to a Syrian family from the Golan Heights, Sharaa grew up in Damascus. He went to Iraq when the US invaded in 2003, subsequently joined the al-Qaeda jihadist group in Iraq, and was imprisoned by American forces from 2006 to 2011.
When released, he returned to Syria, and in 2012 founded the al-Nusra Front. In 2016, he severed ties with al-Qaeda and rebranded his militia as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which toppled the Assad regime.
His subsequent words and actions send a largely positive, but still mixed message. Major media outlets highlight his democratic pledges, yet question whether the moderate persona he is now projecting is a pragmatic facade.
Confidence was badly shaken on March 6, when Alawite civilians in Syria’s coastal and central provinces were attacked and slaughtered by government forces. This was followed by violent encounters with Druze rebels in Damascus on May 1.
Two days of deadly sectarian violence ensued, involving the Druze minority and pro-government forces. On May 3, Israel carried out an intense wave of airstrikes in Syria, claiming it was protecting the Druze minority.
THOSE STILL mistrustful of Sharaa’s true intentions also point to the retention of Islamist clauses in the provisional constitution he has established. Yet even the most cynical would find it difficult to deny that a new spirit is abroad in Syria.
A demonstration of Syria’s changed future occurred outside the UN building in New York on April 25. Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, watched as the two-starred red, white, and black flag of Assad’s Syria was lowered, replaced by the three-starred green, white, and black flag previously used by HTS. This is now Syria’s official emblem.
“This flag is not a mere symbol,” said al-Shibani, “but rather a proclamation of a new existence… embodying a future that emerges from resilience and a promise of change after years of pain.”
On April 25, The New Arab bore the headline: “US Congressmen claim Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa open to Israel normalization.” The story reported that Rep. Cory Mills had held a 90-minute meeting with Sharaa, who had indicated that he was willing to normalize relations with Israel.
Mills was accompanied by fellow Rep. Marlin Stutzman, who separately told The Jerusalem Post that Sharaa was interested in joining the Abraham Accords. “Sharaa said that he was open to the Abraham Accords,” said Stutzman, “which would put them in good standing with Israel, other Middle Eastern countries, and, of course, the United States.”
Both Congressmen are Republicans and have Trump’s ear. It is possible Trump will take the opportunity during his visit to the region to advance the possibility of Syria-Israeli normalization with his hosts – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
There seems to be a solid base to work on. During Sharaa’s visit to French President Emmanuel Macron on May 7, both leaders confirmed that Syria has held indirect talks with Israel through mediators, aiming to reduce tensions, particularly after recent Israeli strikes near Damascus. Macron condemned these strikes, and Sharaa expressed openness to “technical discussions” with Israel.
No doubt the Golan Heights would be included. Israel views the Golan as vital to its security, and annexed it in 1981. During Trump’s first administration, the US recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, a move that Biden’s administration did not overturn.
Any demand to reverse the situation would certainly scupper normalization discussions. Sharaa would probably adopt the pragmatic approach favored by other Abraham Accord states and put the issue on the back burner.
There is no doubt that remarks by Sharaa from the start of his governance favor conciliation toward Israel and potential openness to the principles of regional normalization and cooperation embodied in the Abraham Accords.
If Syria’s interim president eventually delivers the inclusive, unified, well-governed state that he promises, he will have proved himself the most remarkable leader to have emerged in the Arab world for generations.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-853558
-------
Pope Leo’s First Visit Should Be To Gaza
Daoud Kuttab
May 11, 2025
In a world that too often feels consumed by conflict, division, and moral fatigue, the election of a new pope brings a flicker of renewed hope. The selection of Pope Leo XIV is more than a change in leadership. It is a spiritual and moral affirmation that the Catholic Church, under his guidance, will continue to walk the path of peace laid down by Pope Francis.
From the moment he stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo signaled the kind of pontificate he intends to lead. His first words, spoken in Latin, were “Peace to you all” — a greeting deeply familiar to those of us in the East. It was not lost on many that he repeated the word “peace” no fewer than nine times in his brief public address. Equally powerful was his echoing part of Pope Francis’ now-iconic call to “build bridges, not walls” — a phrase Francis uttered in front of the Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem in 2014. Pope Leo repeated that same phrase twice, anchoring his mission in a world increasingly obsessed with barriers and fear.
Pope Leo was born to a French-Italian American father who served in the Second World War and a Spanish American mother with roots in Creole New Orleans. He arrived in Peru on an Augustinian mission in 1985, and later directed the Augustinian seminary in the northern city of Trujillo for 10 years. His decades of ministry in Latin America have shaped his pastoral style, rooted in simplicity, humility, and deep concern for the poor and marginalized.
The symbolism of his speech is strong, and it matters. But even more telling are the calls now circulating that Pope Leo ought to begin with a visit to Gaza. If this proposal becomes reality, it would be one of the boldest opening acts of any modern papacy — a powerful message that the Church stands not with the powerful, but with the suffering. It would mirror the approach of his predecessor, who made a point to meet refugees, visit prisons, and kneel before the forgotten.
Gaza today is a wound on the conscience of humanity. Reeling from devastation, under siege, and increasingly isolated from the world, it represents not only a geopolitical crisis but also a moral one. For a new pope to begin his spiritual leadership by visiting Gaza would send a message louder than any encyclical: that the global church sees, hears, and stands with the afflicted.
This is no abstraction for us in the Levant. We watched as Pope Francis made unprecedented gestures of solidarity — visiting the Palestinian town of Bethlehem praying at the wall of separation, and emphasizing the rights of all people to live in dignity. Pope Leo appears poised to carry that legacy forward with vigor. At 69, he brings the energy to travel and the theological grounding to lead with clarity and compassion.
The choice of the name “Leo” is also significant. It has not been used in over a century and is a deliberate nod to Pope Leo the Great, a figure known for courage, unity, and love in the face of division. As Catholic affairs expert Wadie Abunassar pointed out in this newspaper yesterday, “Leo” means lion — but not a lion of empire or force. Rather, this lion roars with the power of love and moral authority, echoing Jesus Christ, the church’s founder.
Pope Leo’s membership in the Augustinian order is also noteworthy. St. Augustine, a North African saint, emphasized the importance of sharing what one has with others — a principle as urgent now as it was in the fourth century. In a time when global leaders often hoard resources and power, and when millions are displaced by war and occupation, the message of selflessness and solidarity could not be more necessary.
The Catholic Church’s history, like that of any large institution, is riddled with both grandeur and grave mistakes. But under Pope Francis, we saw a clear pivot toward humility, inclusion, and peace-centered theology. He confronted climate change, interfaith division, and systemic injustice. Pope Leo appears ready to continue, if not deepen, this trajectory.
Indeed, the legacy of Pope Francis looms large, particularly in the Middle East. He was a consistent advocate for justice in Palestine, repeatedly calling for the rights of Palestinians to live in peace and dignity. He opposed violence in all its forms and was unafraid to name injustice. His gestures, such as praying at the apartheid Israeli wall or recognizing the state of Palestine, had both symbolic and political impact.
It is in this spirit that Pope Leo’s early words resonate so deeply. We in the region are not looking for empty rhetoric. We yearn for leadership rooted in moral clarity. When a spiritual leader of 1.3 billion people repeats “peace” nine times in his first speech, that is not a coincidence. It is a signal to a broken world.
Our hope is that Pope Leo will not only follow the steps of Pope Francis but will expand them — visiting the wounded, calling out occupation and oppression, and lifting the voices of the silenced. A visit to Gaza, should it happen, would mark a remarkable beginning.
As Christians in the East and neighbors in the holy land, we remain eager to see how this new papacy will unfold. The bridge building has already begun. Now we pray that it leads not only to Rome, but also to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Gaza, and every place where peace has become a distant dream.
May Pope Leo XIV be the lion who roars for peace — not with the weapons of war or the prestige of empire, but with the fearless love of Christ.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2600340
--------
URl: https://www.newageislam.com/middle-east-press/psychology-palestinian-state-pope-leo/d/135500
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism