Matthew Santucci

My latest for The Diplomat. The Geopolitics of the Renewed Sino-Vatican Deal: thediplomat.com/2024/11/the-ge…

Those justifying the Israeli police's actions this morning: Please note that synagogues in Jerusalem remained OPEN to small crowds. Israeli military wartime rules restrict crowds to 50. This applies to Jerusalem. Cardinal Pizzaballa's entourage consisted of four people, in full compliance with the rules.

Voglio esprimere la mia più sentita solidarietà al Patriarca di Gerusalemme, cardinale Pierbattista Pizzaballa, capo della Chiesa Cattolica in Terra Santa, e al Custode di Terra Santa, padre Francesco Ielpo, È inaccettabile aver loro impedito di entrare nella Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro a Gerusalemme. Per la prima volta, la polizia israeliana ha negato ai vertici della Chiesa Cattolica la possibilità di celebrare la Messa della domenica delle Palme in uno dei luoghi più sacri per milioni di fedeli nel mondo. Ho dato immediate istruzioni al nostro Ambasciatore in Israele di esprimere alle autorità di Tel Aviv la protesta del governo e confermare la posizione italiana a tutela , sempre ed in ogni circostanza, della libertà di religione.

J’apporte mon plein soutien au patriarche latin de Jérusalem et aux chrétiens de Terre Sainte, empêchés de célébrer la messe des Rameaux au Saint-Sépulcre. Je condamne cette décision de la police israélienne, qui s’ajoute à la multiplication préoccupante des violations du statut des Lieux Saints de Jérusalem. Le libre exercice du culte à Jérusalem doit être garanti pour toutes les religions.

Ho dato indicazione di convocare domani al ministero degli Esteri l’ambasciatore di Israele per avere chiarimenti sulla decisione di impedire al cardinale Pizzaballa la celebrazione della domenica delle Palme.

بيان مشترك من البطريركية اللاتينية في القدس وحراسة الأراضي المقدسة. Joint Press Release: The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land. lpj.org/en/news/joint-…

🇮🇹 Meloni: "Preventing the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custodian of the Holy Land from entering, especially on a solemnity as central to the faith as Palm Sunday, constitutes an offense not only to believers, but to every community that recognizes religious freedom"

1789 France resulted in a military dictatorship followed by the restoration of a monarchy.

>be born in the 50s and 60s >get a paper route to save for college >nice, tuition is only $200 a semester >graduate and get real job by giving firm handshake >buy a house which is only 2x your salary >work at same company for 40 years >retire with a pension >become a shareholder and get rid of pensions (stock price goes brrr) >home “value” goes up 1,700% >make no upgrades, refuse to sell under asking to new family; sell to Blackrock instead >lecture every subsequent generation about work ethic

the american mind cannot comprehend this

The British isles in the summer sun is the closest we can get to heaven on earth

Sir John Betjeman, Thank God it's Sunday

My latest archeological observation: These are the toys that Italian kids play with so that they can adequately prepare for Italian grown up life.

The Italian economy wants technicians and factory workers, but the Italian education system produces philosophers and mathematicians. Until Italy either lowers access to higher ed or rises up the value chain, it will continue to be a talent exporter.

Mom was right. It's the damn phone

Incredible

Ciao #TimotheeChalamet , sappiamo che sei un tifoso della Roma ma qualcosa ci dice che dovresti allargare i tuoi orizzonti e venire a trovarci: scopriresti anche altre passioni. Perché sì, l’opera e la danza sono vive, a Roma e in tutto il mondo: perdersele è un vero peccato 🧡

Update from CENTCOM Commander on Operation Epic Fury:

@pitlanelando You won’t have that universal healthcare much longer

as a Spaniard, i'm utterly devastated to hear Trump wants to cut ties with Spain. how will we survive without lectures on freedom from a man who thinks paella needs ketchup? we'll try to cope with universal healthcare and 30 days of paid vacation. thoughts and tapas y'all 🇪🇸

This is a ballsy power play by Trump. Lloyd's of London was the gold standard for maritime insurance policies until just a day or two ago when they started cancelling policies or jacking them up 3-5X. Others insurers followed. That collapsed commercial shipping traffic through Hormuz, which choked oil shipments out of the Middle East. Trump doing this means the DFC has the chance to displace Lloyd's as the big dog in this game, when they have been the lock-in player for many years. It also frees up all the oil that was getting trapped there, heading off shortages and keeping the energy market alive. And why not? It's the American navy that sunk the Iranian ships that were harassing tankers. And the American Navy -- at least for now -- will keep those tankers safe. It's a huge reassurance to allies -- both oil producers and oil consumers -- that our campaign in Iran isn't going to sink their economies. And it allows America to be choosy about traffic in the Strait. It also potentially means billions of dollars in insurance premiums at wartime rates going to America instead of the UK. And those rates are STILL going to be cheaper than what shippers were getting.

We are on the same page: This terrible regime in Tehran must go. We will talk about the day after. And we must talk about Ukraine. We want an end to these wars.