Vatican and Israel at an impasse over property rights: Tax exemptions at stake
When Israel’s foreign ministry canceled a meeting with Vatican officials scheduled for early spring in Rome, the official reason given was the pressure of “international political events.”
To be sure, the Middle East has recently seen a flurry of diplomacy. But Israel’s cancellation, announced only a few days before the March 29 meeting, was only the latest delay in a negotiating process that has dragged on for more than 13 years.