25 may 2014
By Jamal Kanj
Is it the official diplomatic fanfare and public relations machine parading Israel’s religious “tourism,” or the unofficial welcome decorating Palestinian churches in Jerusalem with slogans like “Jesus is garbage” and “Mary is a cow”?
Would it be the apartheid highways and byways dedicated exclusively to Israelis, or the high separation wall cordoning original Christian and Muslim Palestinians inside the city that cuddled and protected the baby more than 2,000 years ago?
It is highly unlikely Pope Francis, like other Christian tourists, would face the same military barriers that recently blocked the descendants of the first Christians and Western diplomats from performing religious services at the church in Jerusalem.
Robert Serry, along with several European diplomats and hundreds of Palestinian Christians, were almost “crushed” against an Israeli military barricade on their way to attend last month’s Easter services. When Serry identified himself as the United Nations secretary-general’s special envoy to the Middle East and demanded immediate access, an Israeli officer responded: “So what?” adding, “we have orders to that effect”.
It is indisputable that Israel has done a good job opening religious Christian sites for Christian “tourists”. Undoubtedly, it would have done the same for Muslims too, if that made economic sense. For the Jews-only state of Israel, the “other” religious sites are archaeological “tourist” attractions belonging to prehistoric peoples. Just like the pyramids: structures built by the long gone pharaohs.
The Pope’s visit comes 66 years after approximately 800,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes and more than 500 towns and villages were obliterated and wiped off the map. Zionist terrorist groups did not discriminate in 1948 between Christians and Muslims to achieve David Ben-Gurion’s vision of “a state with at least 80 per cent Jews.”
Up until then Christians represented 10 per cent of the population. Today, their number has dwindled to the low one digit. Keeping at the same rate, the original Christians will cease to exist in the land that gave birth to Christianity.
Ironically, Israel continues to court doomsday international Christian tourists, while stifling the resolute few original Christians by expropriating their land, as it did for the town of Beit Jala to build the Jews-only colony of Gilo.
The “Hebrew neo-Nazis” – quoting Israeli writer Amos Oz – are welcoming the Pope with a smashed cross at Tabga church near Lake Tiberias and threatening the life of Catholic bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo if he doesn’t evacuate “land of Israel”.
The anti-Arab Jewish hooligans are able vandalise Christian and Muslim sites with impunity because Israel “doesn’t want” to end it, according to former Shin Bet boss Carmi Gillon. Acts deeply rooted in a twisted religious teaching that “gentiles are outside the protection of the law.”
These hate crimes are not being carried out only by outlawed fanatics. About two years ago elected Israeli Knesset member Michael Ben-Ari tore the Bible in the middle of the Knesset. He insolently dumped it in what he described as the “garbage can of history”.
The Pope’s planned visit to the Cenacle, site of the Last Supper – Israel has restricted Christian prayers since 1948 – has been met with protests. Last week Yitzhak Batzon, who opposed the visit, told the French news agency AFP: “When ‘the crusaders’ come here making the sign of the cross and all kinds of rituals, this place will become idolatrous for us, and we will not have the right to pray there any more.”
This is the real Israel which Pope Francis and Western Christians need to discover. The heirs of yesteryears King Herod are today’s tormentors of the unwavering 2,000-year-old guards of the church. The Pope should challenge Israel to allow Palestinian Christians to go back to their original homes and abandoned churches, and end all restriction on religious freedom.
Is it the official diplomatic fanfare and public relations machine parading Israel’s religious “tourism,” or the unofficial welcome decorating Palestinian churches in Jerusalem with slogans like “Jesus is garbage” and “Mary is a cow”?
Would it be the apartheid highways and byways dedicated exclusively to Israelis, or the high separation wall cordoning original Christian and Muslim Palestinians inside the city that cuddled and protected the baby more than 2,000 years ago?
It is highly unlikely Pope Francis, like other Christian tourists, would face the same military barriers that recently blocked the descendants of the first Christians and Western diplomats from performing religious services at the church in Jerusalem.
Robert Serry, along with several European diplomats and hundreds of Palestinian Christians, were almost “crushed” against an Israeli military barricade on their way to attend last month’s Easter services. When Serry identified himself as the United Nations secretary-general’s special envoy to the Middle East and demanded immediate access, an Israeli officer responded: “So what?” adding, “we have orders to that effect”.
It is indisputable that Israel has done a good job opening religious Christian sites for Christian “tourists”. Undoubtedly, it would have done the same for Muslims too, if that made economic sense. For the Jews-only state of Israel, the “other” religious sites are archaeological “tourist” attractions belonging to prehistoric peoples. Just like the pyramids: structures built by the long gone pharaohs.
The Pope’s visit comes 66 years after approximately 800,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes and more than 500 towns and villages were obliterated and wiped off the map. Zionist terrorist groups did not discriminate in 1948 between Christians and Muslims to achieve David Ben-Gurion’s vision of “a state with at least 80 per cent Jews.”
Up until then Christians represented 10 per cent of the population. Today, their number has dwindled to the low one digit. Keeping at the same rate, the original Christians will cease to exist in the land that gave birth to Christianity.
Ironically, Israel continues to court doomsday international Christian tourists, while stifling the resolute few original Christians by expropriating their land, as it did for the town of Beit Jala to build the Jews-only colony of Gilo.
The “Hebrew neo-Nazis” – quoting Israeli writer Amos Oz – are welcoming the Pope with a smashed cross at Tabga church near Lake Tiberias and threatening the life of Catholic bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo if he doesn’t evacuate “land of Israel”.
The anti-Arab Jewish hooligans are able vandalise Christian and Muslim sites with impunity because Israel “doesn’t want” to end it, according to former Shin Bet boss Carmi Gillon. Acts deeply rooted in a twisted religious teaching that “gentiles are outside the protection of the law.”
These hate crimes are not being carried out only by outlawed fanatics. About two years ago elected Israeli Knesset member Michael Ben-Ari tore the Bible in the middle of the Knesset. He insolently dumped it in what he described as the “garbage can of history”.
The Pope’s planned visit to the Cenacle, site of the Last Supper – Israel has restricted Christian prayers since 1948 – has been met with protests. Last week Yitzhak Batzon, who opposed the visit, told the French news agency AFP: “When ‘the crusaders’ come here making the sign of the cross and all kinds of rituals, this place will become idolatrous for us, and we will not have the right to pray there any more.”
This is the real Israel which Pope Francis and Western Christians need to discover. The heirs of yesteryears King Herod are today’s tormentors of the unwavering 2,000-year-old guards of the church. The Pope should challenge Israel to allow Palestinian Christians to go back to their original homes and abandoned churches, and end all restriction on religious freedom.
Fanatic Jewish settlers thought to be from the price tag gang on Sunday morning spray-painted blasphemous remarks against Prophets Muhammad and Jesus on public property in the Arab city of Lod, southeast of Tel Aviv. Senior Islamic Movement official in the city Ismail Abu Marsa stated that many citizens were surprised to see in the morning graffiti insulting the Prophets of Muslims and Christians at a public bus station to the west of Lod.
Abu Marsa added that such act reflected the amount of hatred the Jewish extremists have against other religions and exposed further the reality of Israel, which claims to be a democratic country.
He expressed his belief that such abusive remarks were a message to Pope Francis of the Vatican, who is on a three-day visit to the occupied Palestinian lands and Jordan.
Abu Marsa added that such act reflected the amount of hatred the Jewish extremists have against other religions and exposed further the reality of Israel, which claims to be a democratic country.
He expressed his belief that such abusive remarks were a message to Pope Francis of the Vatican, who is on a three-day visit to the occupied Palestinian lands and Jordan.
Palestinian activists who were were deported from Bethlehem to the Gaza Strip in 2002 published a letter Sunday addressing Pope Francis and urging him to do something about their suffering.
The letter described the suffering of 39 Palestinian activists from the Bethlehem area who were deported in 2002 after hiding out at the Nativity Church for 40 days. Thirteen were exiled to Europe and 26 others to the Gaza Strip.
“Today we appeal to His Holiness Pope Francis the first on the occasion of his visit to the birthplace of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him,” the letter read. "From the land of the three heavenly religions ... we deliver to Your Holiness a message of love and peace from the believers in Palestine who are being tortured.
“From those who are still suffering atrocities practiced by Israeli occupation in an obvious breach to all heavenly laws mentioned in the Bible, Torah, and Quran.”
It continued: “Thirteen years have passed since we were deported from the Nativity Church after the Israeli occupiers occupied our city Bethlehem. We were besieged inside the church for 39 days. The Israeli did not show any respect to the sacredness of the place, but instead they shot dead civilians inside the Nativity Church, the birthplace of Jesus.
“The first victim was the church’s bell-ringer Samir Samaan. Eight other people were shot dead and 30 were injured inside the church which suffered material damage as well because Israeli troops fired gunshots and fire bombs inside paying no respect to the sacredness of the place.”
The letter continued to describe the deportees’ suffering as well as the ongoing oppressive Israeli procedures against the Palestinian people in general including both Muslims and Christians.
The letter then appealed to the pontiff by urging him to intervene and call upon the Israelis to allow all deportees both in the Gaza Strip and in European countries to return to their city, the birthplace of Jesus.
Furthermore, the letter invited the pope to visit the Gaza Strip so he can watch firsthand the suffering of both Muslims and Christians in the coastal enclave which has been under crippling siege for eight years.
The letter described the suffering of 39 Palestinian activists from the Bethlehem area who were deported in 2002 after hiding out at the Nativity Church for 40 days. Thirteen were exiled to Europe and 26 others to the Gaza Strip.
“Today we appeal to His Holiness Pope Francis the first on the occasion of his visit to the birthplace of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him,” the letter read. "From the land of the three heavenly religions ... we deliver to Your Holiness a message of love and peace from the believers in Palestine who are being tortured.
“From those who are still suffering atrocities practiced by Israeli occupation in an obvious breach to all heavenly laws mentioned in the Bible, Torah, and Quran.”
It continued: “Thirteen years have passed since we were deported from the Nativity Church after the Israeli occupiers occupied our city Bethlehem. We were besieged inside the church for 39 days. The Israeli did not show any respect to the sacredness of the place, but instead they shot dead civilians inside the Nativity Church, the birthplace of Jesus.
“The first victim was the church’s bell-ringer Samir Samaan. Eight other people were shot dead and 30 were injured inside the church which suffered material damage as well because Israeli troops fired gunshots and fire bombs inside paying no respect to the sacredness of the place.”
The letter continued to describe the deportees’ suffering as well as the ongoing oppressive Israeli procedures against the Palestinian people in general including both Muslims and Christians.
The letter then appealed to the pontiff by urging him to intervene and call upon the Israelis to allow all deportees both in the Gaza Strip and in European countries to return to their city, the birthplace of Jesus.
Furthermore, the letter invited the pope to visit the Gaza Strip so he can watch firsthand the suffering of both Muslims and Christians in the coastal enclave which has been under crippling siege for eight years.
The following is a translation of President Shimon Peres' speech at a press conference upon Pope Francis' arrival in Jerusalem late Sunday.
Your Holiness Pope Francis,
On behalf of the Jewish people and in the name of all the people of Israel, I welcome you with the age old words from the Book of Psalms: "Welcome in the name of the Lord."
Welcome at the gates of Jerusalem.
Your Holiness,
You have arrived in the State of Israel where today members of different religions and nationalities live together Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druse and Circassians.
Israel is a Jewish and democratic state where coexistence in peace is implemented, and a state that aspires for peace with all its neighbors. Even if peace calls for sacrifices, the sacrifices of peace are preferable to the threat of war. Our hand is stretched out in peace and will continue to be stretched out in peace, and we shall seek the right path to achieve it.
Israel is a state in which there is no religious coercion or anti-religious outlooks, and where the right to freedom of religion is respected. We are responsible for its implementation, and we shall not allow anyone to violate this commitment.
We take pride in this pluralistic nature of our society, which respects all its citizens, regardless of religion and nationality.
You bring with you great tidings and hope for all. You carry a message of brotherhood among peoples, and friendship for all. Nothing enriches more than love of humanity. Indeed, our Sages taught us that only love will build Jerusalem. You bring inspiration. A call to choose values over assets, generosity over envy, goodwill over power.
Your Holiness,
You have brought to the Holy See a noble and natural humility. Deep identification with the poor, the oppressed and destitute. A profound sense that the task of man is to mend the world Tikkun Olam and engage in scientific activities for which the sanctity of life are their supreme value.
These values were voiced by the Prophets Isaiah and Amos in Jerusalem, and who represented a beacon to Jesus, the Nazarene, and to Saint Francis of Assisi, whose name and spirit you embraced, as Pope and Head of the Catholic Church.
Your Holiness,
We are grateful to you for assuming your sensitive and resolute stand against all expressions of anti-Semitism. Against all manifestations of racism.
Only yesterday, criminals shot innocent people in the Jewish Museum in Brussels only because they thought they were Jewish. This is a manifestation that poisons wells and cannot be accepted.
You assumed the position of builder of bridges between all religions. Among the diverse cultures. The creation of new relations, free of the residues of the past, between Judaism and Christianity. We are attentive to your words and respect their content. The people of Israel are thrilled by your arrival and are in anticipation of your remarks.
And see in you a modest and far-sighted shepherd. The Jewish people are an ancient people, that rejected idolatry and denied goddesses, and swore to believe in one God, our Father in Heaven. And although our people knew destruction and exile, suffering and violence, a horrific Shoah and wars of survival, they did not deviate from their path.
Even when their condition degenerated, their spirit never failed. They safeguarded the legacy of their forefathers and the revival of the Jewish people emanated from the birth of their descendants. With the help of their faith and scientific advances, they turned a meager and parched land into green fields and blooming gardens.
Whatever knowledge we acquired, we were happy to put it at the disposal of other peoples who so desired, and we are willing to share our expertise with our neighbors, close and afar, so as to jointly fight hunger and poverty, hopelessness and violence. It is necessary for us all to pool our resources to save the poor from their destitution and provide the young with opportunities to reach the peaks of success.
And we shall all pray for peace in the world and justice in our society. In the words of Isaiah: Is it not to share your food with the hungry and the poor wanderer with shelter when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (Isaiah, 58:7)
And to this I shall add: "And you will know no more wars." And may the Ten Commandments, written 3,500 years ago, continue to serve as a guiding light also for our future.
Please accept my gratitude, and that of my people, for your warm and loving attitude to the Jewish people, which I have always observed, and which the Church you head called "my older brothers." Your Holiness, our brother you are.
Welcome to the Eternal City, the city of justice and peace. May they yield their fruit soon. Salve in Terra Sancta.
Your Holiness Pope Francis,
On behalf of the Jewish people and in the name of all the people of Israel, I welcome you with the age old words from the Book of Psalms: "Welcome in the name of the Lord."
Welcome at the gates of Jerusalem.
Your Holiness,
You have arrived in the State of Israel where today members of different religions and nationalities live together Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druse and Circassians.
Israel is a Jewish and democratic state where coexistence in peace is implemented, and a state that aspires for peace with all its neighbors. Even if peace calls for sacrifices, the sacrifices of peace are preferable to the threat of war. Our hand is stretched out in peace and will continue to be stretched out in peace, and we shall seek the right path to achieve it.
Israel is a state in which there is no religious coercion or anti-religious outlooks, and where the right to freedom of religion is respected. We are responsible for its implementation, and we shall not allow anyone to violate this commitment.
We take pride in this pluralistic nature of our society, which respects all its citizens, regardless of religion and nationality.
You bring with you great tidings and hope for all. You carry a message of brotherhood among peoples, and friendship for all. Nothing enriches more than love of humanity. Indeed, our Sages taught us that only love will build Jerusalem. You bring inspiration. A call to choose values over assets, generosity over envy, goodwill over power.
Your Holiness,
You have brought to the Holy See a noble and natural humility. Deep identification with the poor, the oppressed and destitute. A profound sense that the task of man is to mend the world Tikkun Olam and engage in scientific activities for which the sanctity of life are their supreme value.
These values were voiced by the Prophets Isaiah and Amos in Jerusalem, and who represented a beacon to Jesus, the Nazarene, and to Saint Francis of Assisi, whose name and spirit you embraced, as Pope and Head of the Catholic Church.
Your Holiness,
We are grateful to you for assuming your sensitive and resolute stand against all expressions of anti-Semitism. Against all manifestations of racism.
Only yesterday, criminals shot innocent people in the Jewish Museum in Brussels only because they thought they were Jewish. This is a manifestation that poisons wells and cannot be accepted.
You assumed the position of builder of bridges between all religions. Among the diverse cultures. The creation of new relations, free of the residues of the past, between Judaism and Christianity. We are attentive to your words and respect their content. The people of Israel are thrilled by your arrival and are in anticipation of your remarks.
And see in you a modest and far-sighted shepherd. The Jewish people are an ancient people, that rejected idolatry and denied goddesses, and swore to believe in one God, our Father in Heaven. And although our people knew destruction and exile, suffering and violence, a horrific Shoah and wars of survival, they did not deviate from their path.
Even when their condition degenerated, their spirit never failed. They safeguarded the legacy of their forefathers and the revival of the Jewish people emanated from the birth of their descendants. With the help of their faith and scientific advances, they turned a meager and parched land into green fields and blooming gardens.
Whatever knowledge we acquired, we were happy to put it at the disposal of other peoples who so desired, and we are willing to share our expertise with our neighbors, close and afar, so as to jointly fight hunger and poverty, hopelessness and violence. It is necessary for us all to pool our resources to save the poor from their destitution and provide the young with opportunities to reach the peaks of success.
And we shall all pray for peace in the world and justice in our society. In the words of Isaiah: Is it not to share your food with the hungry and the poor wanderer with shelter when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (Isaiah, 58:7)
And to this I shall add: "And you will know no more wars." And may the Ten Commandments, written 3,500 years ago, continue to serve as a guiding light also for our future.
Please accept my gratitude, and that of my people, for your warm and loving attitude to the Jewish people, which I have always observed, and which the Church you head called "my older brothers." Your Holiness, our brother you are.
Welcome to the Eternal City, the city of justice and peace. May they yield their fruit soon. Salve in Terra Sancta.
Pope Francis joined with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I for a historic unity service Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, Christianity's holiest site.
They met at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher inside the walled Old City after signing a landmark pledge to work together to further unity between the eastern and western branches of Christianity, estranged for a millennium.
The meeting has been billed as the main reason for the pope's three-day trip to the Middle East, which ends on Monday.
It commemorates the historic rapprochement between both branches of the Christian church 50 years ago, when Pope Paul VI met and embraced Patriarch Athenagoras -- the first easing of tensions between the Churches since the Great Schism in the 11th century.
Both leaders knelt side by side in prayer on the rough Stone of the Anointing, where the body of Jesus was laid before burial, removing their headgear as they did so.
Both had to be helped to their feet by aides at the end of the prayer. The pope is 77, Bartholomew, one of the Orthodox Chuch's most revered figures, 74.
A choir sang a Greek chant as they slowly walked into a joint service in the dimly-lit church, packed with religious figures and dignitaries, and later burst into a joyous rendition of Hallelujah.
Earlier, the two men signed a joint pledge to pursue common dialogue, which reaffirmed values common to the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
"Our fraternal encounter today is a new and necessary step on the journey towards the unity... of communion in legitimate diversity," says the declaration which was signed in the presence of representatives of 13 Catholic and Orthodox churches in Jerusalem.
The logo for the pope's journey is a picture of St Peter and St Andrew -- symbolizing the churches of the east and west -- embracing in a boat with a mast in the shape of a cross.
The Great Schism in 1054 split Rome and Constantinople, seat of Orthodoxy.
According to Christian tradition, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where the joint service was held, was built on the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
They met at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher inside the walled Old City after signing a landmark pledge to work together to further unity between the eastern and western branches of Christianity, estranged for a millennium.
The meeting has been billed as the main reason for the pope's three-day trip to the Middle East, which ends on Monday.
It commemorates the historic rapprochement between both branches of the Christian church 50 years ago, when Pope Paul VI met and embraced Patriarch Athenagoras -- the first easing of tensions between the Churches since the Great Schism in the 11th century.
Both leaders knelt side by side in prayer on the rough Stone of the Anointing, where the body of Jesus was laid before burial, removing their headgear as they did so.
Both had to be helped to their feet by aides at the end of the prayer. The pope is 77, Bartholomew, one of the Orthodox Chuch's most revered figures, 74.
A choir sang a Greek chant as they slowly walked into a joint service in the dimly-lit church, packed with religious figures and dignitaries, and later burst into a joyous rendition of Hallelujah.
Earlier, the two men signed a joint pledge to pursue common dialogue, which reaffirmed values common to the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
"Our fraternal encounter today is a new and necessary step on the journey towards the unity... of communion in legitimate diversity," says the declaration which was signed in the presence of representatives of 13 Catholic and Orthodox churches in Jerusalem.
The logo for the pope's journey is a picture of St Peter and St Andrew -- symbolizing the churches of the east and west -- embracing in a boat with a mast in the shape of a cross.
The Great Schism in 1054 split Rome and Constantinople, seat of Orthodoxy.
According to Christian tradition, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where the joint service was held, was built on the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
The following is a translation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks at a news conference welcoming Pope Francis to Israel on Sunday evening.
Your Holiness, Pope Francis,
Welcome to our land, the Land of Israel, the Holy Land. You bring with you the spirit of reconciliation, faith, and peace of millions of Christians worldwide, and also of many who are not Christian yet who are caught up in the spirit of love for humanity which you embody. Your visit is an important chapter in the history of the relations between Christians and Jews, a bond which has lasted for 2,000 years.
These relations are anchored in the Bible, which is the moral, historic, and religious keystone on which Judaism rests, and from which Christianity grew. The Bible articulates man's relationship with his fellow man, the relationship of man with God and it articulates our people's prayer for the redemption of its homeland and man's prayer for the day "nation shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."
It is against the backdrop of the suffering of the past that I welcome the good relations between the Holy See and the Jewish people and Jewish state that have been built during our generation. We admire and appreciate your decision to lay a wreath on the grave of Benjamin Zeev Herzl, the founder of the Zionist movement. We know that when you light the eternal flame at Yad Vashem in memory of the one-third of our people who were murdered in the Holocaust, it will be another expression of your belief that antisemitism is a crime against God and against humanity, as was the heinous anti-Semitic crime perpetrated yesterday on European soil.
Your Holiness, despite all the incitement and disturbances and pogroms against our people, we regained our independence in our ancestral homeland, to be a free people in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem. Your visit here is an opportunity to show you the real Israel, a democratic, advanced, prosperous country.
Your Holiness, in the heart of the Middle East, the turbulent and violent Middle East, where Christians are often persecuted, Israel is an island of tolerance. We safeguard the rights of all faiths. We guarantee freedom of worship for all and we are committed to maintaining the status quo at the Holy sites of Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
Your Holiness, Pope Francis, you are leaving here for Jerusalem, our eternal capital, the heart of our faith. In Jerusalem and around our country, the prophets' vision of our people's renaissance is being fulfilled. This renaissance is one of the greatest symbols of humanity. It is not just the story of the Jewish people, but also the triumph of the human spirit which does not surrender to the horrors of history and succeeds, despite all obstacles, to rise up to the heights of progress, creativity and hope for peace.
Your Holiness, Pope Francis, welcome to Israel. You are welcome to the State of Israel.
Your Holiness, Pope Francis,
Welcome to our land, the Land of Israel, the Holy Land. You bring with you the spirit of reconciliation, faith, and peace of millions of Christians worldwide, and also of many who are not Christian yet who are caught up in the spirit of love for humanity which you embody. Your visit is an important chapter in the history of the relations between Christians and Jews, a bond which has lasted for 2,000 years.
These relations are anchored in the Bible, which is the moral, historic, and religious keystone on which Judaism rests, and from which Christianity grew. The Bible articulates man's relationship with his fellow man, the relationship of man with God and it articulates our people's prayer for the redemption of its homeland and man's prayer for the day "nation shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."
It is against the backdrop of the suffering of the past that I welcome the good relations between the Holy See and the Jewish people and Jewish state that have been built during our generation. We admire and appreciate your decision to lay a wreath on the grave of Benjamin Zeev Herzl, the founder of the Zionist movement. We know that when you light the eternal flame at Yad Vashem in memory of the one-third of our people who were murdered in the Holocaust, it will be another expression of your belief that antisemitism is a crime against God and against humanity, as was the heinous anti-Semitic crime perpetrated yesterday on European soil.
Your Holiness, despite all the incitement and disturbances and pogroms against our people, we regained our independence in our ancestral homeland, to be a free people in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem. Your visit here is an opportunity to show you the real Israel, a democratic, advanced, prosperous country.
Your Holiness, in the heart of the Middle East, the turbulent and violent Middle East, where Christians are often persecuted, Israel is an island of tolerance. We safeguard the rights of all faiths. We guarantee freedom of worship for all and we are committed to maintaining the status quo at the Holy sites of Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
Your Holiness, Pope Francis, you are leaving here for Jerusalem, our eternal capital, the heart of our faith. In Jerusalem and around our country, the prophets' vision of our people's renaissance is being fulfilled. This renaissance is one of the greatest symbols of humanity. It is not just the story of the Jewish people, but also the triumph of the human spirit which does not surrender to the horrors of history and succeeds, despite all obstacles, to rise up to the heights of progress, creativity and hope for peace.
Your Holiness, Pope Francis, welcome to Israel. You are welcome to the State of Israel.
Pope Francis arrives in Jerusalem
Pope Francis arrived in Jerusalem on Sunday evening after spending most of the day in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, where he delivered a mass in front of thousands of Palestinians.
Francis was greeted by Israel's Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat and other dignitaries, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. He then held a private meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, it said.
The pope was expected to participate in a Ecumenical meeting marking the 50th anniversary of a meeting in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Haaretz said.
Pope Francis arrived in Jerusalem on Sunday evening after spending most of the day in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, where he delivered a mass in front of thousands of Palestinians.
Francis was greeted by Israel's Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat and other dignitaries, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. He then held a private meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, it said.
The pope was expected to participate in a Ecumenical meeting marking the 50th anniversary of a meeting in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Haaretz said.
Pope Francis lands in Israel
Pope Francis arrived in Israel on Sunday to formally launch the final leg of his three-day Middle East tour.
He flew in by helicopter from the West Bank town of Bethlehem, landing at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv where he was to be welcomed by Israeli President Shimon Peres.
Pope Francis arrived in Israel on Sunday to formally launch the final leg of his three-day Middle East tour.
He flew in by helicopter from the West Bank town of Bethlehem, landing at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv where he was to be welcomed by Israeli President Shimon Peres.
A senior Palestinian official told US media on Sunday that the PLO had accepted an invitation to attend talks with an Israeli delegation at the Vatican.
A member of the PLO executive committee was quoted by CNN and The Associated Press as agreeing to the request, which came as Pope Francis visited the occupied West Bank.
Francis extended the invitation at a mass Sunday in Bethlehem's Manger Square.
"In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace, I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with (Israeli) President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace."
He added: "I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer."
PLO executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi told CNN that Abbas would go to the Vatican.
The Israeli president's office also welcomed the invitation, CNN reported.
"President Peres has always supported, and will continue to support, any attempts to progress the cause of peace," a statement from Peres' office was quoted as saying.
A PLO spokesman told Ma'an that he was unable to confirm or deny the reports.
Peace talks broke down in April when Israel abruptly withdrew its negotiator, offering a pretext that it could not negotiate with a Palestinian government that included Hamas.
The Israeli withdrawal followed a deal signed between the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and the Islamist faction which rules Gaza.
A member of the PLO executive committee was quoted by CNN and The Associated Press as agreeing to the request, which came as Pope Francis visited the occupied West Bank.
Francis extended the invitation at a mass Sunday in Bethlehem's Manger Square.
"In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace, I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with (Israeli) President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace."
He added: "I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer."
PLO executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi told CNN that Abbas would go to the Vatican.
The Israeli president's office also welcomed the invitation, CNN reported.
"President Peres has always supported, and will continue to support, any attempts to progress the cause of peace," a statement from Peres' office was quoted as saying.
A PLO spokesman told Ma'an that he was unable to confirm or deny the reports.
Peace talks broke down in April when Israel abruptly withdrew its negotiator, offering a pretext that it could not negotiate with a Palestinian government that included Hamas.
The Israeli withdrawal followed a deal signed between the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and the Islamist faction which rules Gaza.
The following is a translation of President Mahmoud Abbas' speech at a press conference upon Pope Francis' arrival in Bethlehem early Sunday.
It's a great honor to welcome Your Holiness to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus (peace be upon him), the holy blessed land. Welcome, Your Holiness. You are a dear guest to our people in the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
Your visit today carries all the symbolism that your name and holiness hold as a defender of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Your visit represents a call for peace during your pilgrimage to the land of Palestine, the land of love and peace.
I am very happy to meet with His Holiness Pope Francis and to listen his wise opinions and his insightful human vision. The visit of His Holiness holds a noble significance in our souls and the souls of our people. This is a historic visit that we cherish in the framework of our friendship and our spiritual and religious bonding between the Vatican and Palestine, which we aspire to strengthen. The Holy Land is the destination of millions of believers. It represents a unique model of coexistence in the spirit of harmony, brotherhood, and equality in rights and duties.
We welcome you in the State of Palestine with all the love and hospitality. We welcome your meetings with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the city of Jerusalem.
I briefed His Holiness on the latest developments in the peace process and negotiations towards reaching a just and lasting peace, to ensures security, safety, and stability to our region and its peoples.
We have fully updated His Holiness on the outcome of the peace process and the pitfalls and obstacles which befell it, primarily the settlement enterprise, and daily attacks on places of worship including churches and mosques, as well as the continued detention of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails , who yearn for freedom. A number of these prisoners have been on hunger strike for more than 30 days in protest against ill-treatment and detention without trial or verdict, under the pretext of "administrative detention."
We have also shared with His Holiness the tragic situation experienced by the city of East Jerusalem, the capital of our country, which has been occupied since 1967. Israel has been systematically working to change the identity and character of the city, imposing restrictions on the people of Palestine, Christians and Muslims, in order to displace them and to prevent the faithful from praying at their holy sites.
We call upon the Israeli government to cease these practices, which violate international law. And from our side, our vision is for our capital in East Jerusalem to be open to the followers of the three monotheistic religions without discrimination.
These Israeli practices have led to the migration of Christians and Muslims, who should be able to stay on their ancestral land. We are ready to work together to strengthen the Palestinian indigenous Christian presence in the Holy Land, especially in Jerusalem.
We would like to express from the bottom of our hearts that we value your efforts and support for the rights of our people. We count on Your Holiness to contribute towards enabling our people to attain their freedom and full independence, by bringing the Israeli occupation to a complete end and establishing an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Your Holiness, you saw the monstrous wall being constructed by Israel, the occupying power on our land, at a time when we desperately needed to build bridges of communication and dialogue rather than anything that would sow the seeds of hatred, malice, and hostility. We, the people, are looking to live in freedom and dignity and to have sovereignty over our national soil, away from the occupation.
We are committed to the Arab Peace Initiative. Once Israel withdraws from the territory it occupied in 1967, all the Arab and Islamic countries will recognize Israel and immediately establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
Your Holiness, thank you for meeting with the children of the refugee camps who are living the tragedy and sufferings of displacement and asylum, which was imposed on them by the Nakba 66 years ago.
Your Holiness, we don't ask for the impossible, and we have made sacrifices for peace. We have accepted the establishment of the independent State of Palestine only on the land occupied in 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside the State of Israel in security, mutual respect, and good neighborliness.
We also appreciate your willingness to share a meal with the Palestinian families who are representative of our society that lives under occupation. This meeting sends a message to the whole world, and reminds the world of the tragedy of Palestine.
We in Palestine are counting on your generous efforts towards realizing the rights of our people and we welcome any initiative which you may take to make peace a reality in the Holy Land, which will enable our people to build a life and a future.
It's time to respect the principles of rights, justice, peace, freedom, and human dignity that you believe in, and which are the foundation of all religions as well as international laws and resolutions. These are all principles that must be respected and applied in the Holy Land.
We take this historic opportunity of your presence among us today to send a message of peace to our Israeli neighbors by saying: come and make peace based on truth, justice, equality, and mutual respect. Your work for the good of your people to live in prosperity, peace, and stability is the exact same thing that we strive for.
Security, peace, and stability are in our mutual interest, for our region and the whole world. Peace is made with a wise mind and heart, and a living moral and human conscience, in order to remove injustice, oppression, and abuse. Also, (peace is made) by abandoning expansion at the expense of the rights of others -- the policy of double standards. Honest and sincere intentions are needed to achieve desired peace, which shall be enjoyed by our future generations.
Your Holiness, thousands of believers have been waiting for you since the morning in Manger Square to express their love, appreciation, and respect, and to pray with you to Almighty God for brotherhood, love, and peace.
We welcome your Holiness and the Vatican delegation to Palestine, the land of peace, and we wish you all the health and happiness and every blessing to the believers.
Peace be upon you.
It's a great honor to welcome Your Holiness to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus (peace be upon him), the holy blessed land. Welcome, Your Holiness. You are a dear guest to our people in the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
Your visit today carries all the symbolism that your name and holiness hold as a defender of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Your visit represents a call for peace during your pilgrimage to the land of Palestine, the land of love and peace.
I am very happy to meet with His Holiness Pope Francis and to listen his wise opinions and his insightful human vision. The visit of His Holiness holds a noble significance in our souls and the souls of our people. This is a historic visit that we cherish in the framework of our friendship and our spiritual and religious bonding between the Vatican and Palestine, which we aspire to strengthen. The Holy Land is the destination of millions of believers. It represents a unique model of coexistence in the spirit of harmony, brotherhood, and equality in rights and duties.
We welcome you in the State of Palestine with all the love and hospitality. We welcome your meetings with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the city of Jerusalem.
I briefed His Holiness on the latest developments in the peace process and negotiations towards reaching a just and lasting peace, to ensures security, safety, and stability to our region and its peoples.
We have fully updated His Holiness on the outcome of the peace process and the pitfalls and obstacles which befell it, primarily the settlement enterprise, and daily attacks on places of worship including churches and mosques, as well as the continued detention of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails , who yearn for freedom. A number of these prisoners have been on hunger strike for more than 30 days in protest against ill-treatment and detention without trial or verdict, under the pretext of "administrative detention."
We have also shared with His Holiness the tragic situation experienced by the city of East Jerusalem, the capital of our country, which has been occupied since 1967. Israel has been systematically working to change the identity and character of the city, imposing restrictions on the people of Palestine, Christians and Muslims, in order to displace them and to prevent the faithful from praying at their holy sites.
We call upon the Israeli government to cease these practices, which violate international law. And from our side, our vision is for our capital in East Jerusalem to be open to the followers of the three monotheistic religions without discrimination.
These Israeli practices have led to the migration of Christians and Muslims, who should be able to stay on their ancestral land. We are ready to work together to strengthen the Palestinian indigenous Christian presence in the Holy Land, especially in Jerusalem.
We would like to express from the bottom of our hearts that we value your efforts and support for the rights of our people. We count on Your Holiness to contribute towards enabling our people to attain their freedom and full independence, by bringing the Israeli occupation to a complete end and establishing an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Your Holiness, you saw the monstrous wall being constructed by Israel, the occupying power on our land, at a time when we desperately needed to build bridges of communication and dialogue rather than anything that would sow the seeds of hatred, malice, and hostility. We, the people, are looking to live in freedom and dignity and to have sovereignty over our national soil, away from the occupation.
We are committed to the Arab Peace Initiative. Once Israel withdraws from the territory it occupied in 1967, all the Arab and Islamic countries will recognize Israel and immediately establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
Your Holiness, thank you for meeting with the children of the refugee camps who are living the tragedy and sufferings of displacement and asylum, which was imposed on them by the Nakba 66 years ago.
Your Holiness, we don't ask for the impossible, and we have made sacrifices for peace. We have accepted the establishment of the independent State of Palestine only on the land occupied in 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside the State of Israel in security, mutual respect, and good neighborliness.
We also appreciate your willingness to share a meal with the Palestinian families who are representative of our society that lives under occupation. This meeting sends a message to the whole world, and reminds the world of the tragedy of Palestine.
We in Palestine are counting on your generous efforts towards realizing the rights of our people and we welcome any initiative which you may take to make peace a reality in the Holy Land, which will enable our people to build a life and a future.
It's time to respect the principles of rights, justice, peace, freedom, and human dignity that you believe in, and which are the foundation of all religions as well as international laws and resolutions. These are all principles that must be respected and applied in the Holy Land.
We take this historic opportunity of your presence among us today to send a message of peace to our Israeli neighbors by saying: come and make peace based on truth, justice, equality, and mutual respect. Your work for the good of your people to live in prosperity, peace, and stability is the exact same thing that we strive for.
Security, peace, and stability are in our mutual interest, for our region and the whole world. Peace is made with a wise mind and heart, and a living moral and human conscience, in order to remove injustice, oppression, and abuse. Also, (peace is made) by abandoning expansion at the expense of the rights of others -- the policy of double standards. Honest and sincere intentions are needed to achieve desired peace, which shall be enjoyed by our future generations.
Your Holiness, thousands of believers have been waiting for you since the morning in Manger Square to express their love, appreciation, and respect, and to pray with you to Almighty God for brotherhood, love, and peace.
We welcome your Holiness and the Vatican delegation to Palestine, the land of peace, and we wish you all the health and happiness and every blessing to the believers.
Peace be upon you.
The following is a letter sent on Friday by a number of Christian Palestinian organizations to Eastern Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I on the occasion of his visit to occupied East Jerusalem.
The Patriarch will meet Catholic Pope Francis on Monday, marking 50 years since the historic encounter and reconciliation between the leaders of two of the world's largest religious denominations, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople.
Your Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,
The Palestinian Christian community in occupied Jerusalem, represented by its community-based organizations and individuals welcome you in Your historic visit to our beloved city Jerusalem, where we are receiving you with His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine, to pray together in the Holy Sepulcher today.
Jerusalem saw the birth of the Church. We, our fathers and forefathers, continue this long Christian presence throughout centuries until today in this holy city. This Holy City witnessed Your meeting fifty years ago. At that time, we were free and we were blessed to take part in the ecumenical historical visit. Today, we are the little children under occupation, who are barred from getting near you in our city!
With gratitude to You, a Spiritual Leader and with God's blessings, we are full of hope that Your ecumenical meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis I will inspire the long awaited unity of the One Church, again in Jerusalem. Your pilgrimage is our sign of hope. Hope for the unity of Christians all over the world, but also our Christian hope for freedom from occupation, and for justice for Palestine and Palestinians. We know Your stand with the poor and the victims will prevail in the light of truth.
Jerusalem Christians were 24,000 before Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967. Today, we are less than 9,000! This is due to displacement, house confiscation and demolitions, revocation and denial of residency rights and restrictions of movement under Israeli occupation. We have become an isolated community, economically and socially as a result of Israeli laws against family re-unification, and torn apart by the separation wall. This is the truth of Jerusalem Christians today.
We long to live normal lives in our city with full human rights and total freedom. Not with barriers and bars. We long for a living church, not empty stones. We aspire to self-determination, liberated from an oppressive occupation that imposes discriminatory regulations and laws where Jerusalem becomes exclusive for one people and one religion.
At a time when our mere existence in our city is threatened, we expect a different approach from our religious leadership to emphasize the Christian presence and existence in the Holy Land. We expect Your holiness to make gestures to your constituency that you care for, your constituency that remained faithful to Lord Jesus in his city Jerusalem as the first Christian congregation, and who welcomes you today in love and aspiration.
Unfortunately, Your holiness's program in Jerusalem does not provide any consideration towards the Palestinian Christians' aspirations nor their national leadership to send out a moral voice against Israeli policy of annexation and ethnic cleansing of all non-Jews in Jerusalem. As per International Law, East Jerusalem including all of the Old City is Palestinian.
Thus, the whole Palestinian Christian community in Jerusalem is united in dismay. This issue is both symbolic and legal as red lines as per International Law should not be crossed.
We will keep witnessing for our Lord Jesus and our Christian faith in this land as Palestinians. After the darkness of the Tomb, we will live as the church of the Resurrection.
With these sincere words from Your little ones, we, Jerusalem Christians pray for your successful ecumenical pilgrimage and meetings, believing in the power of truth and prayerful action in facing Empire and earthly powers' oppression, as you have taught us. You are our Father and our guide. We are sure that you will listen to our cry, know our pain and work towards preserving the dignity of all human beings.
With respect and sincerity,
Faithfully Yours,
On behalf of the Palestinian Christians of Jerusalem:
Jerusalem Christian Organizations: Arab Catholic Scouts Group
Arab Orthodox Scouts Group
Arab Orthodox Society -- Jerusalem
Caritas -- Jerusalem
Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees -- Middle East Council of Churches
Greek Catholic Lady of Annunciation Association
International Christian Committee, Laity Committee in the Holy Land
National Christian Association
Pontifical Mission Palestine
SABEEL -- Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center
Seeds of Better Life
Union of Arab Orthodox Club -- Jerusalem
Young Men's Christian Association -- YMCA
Young Women's Christian Association -- YWCA
Kairos Palestine
The Patriarch will meet Catholic Pope Francis on Monday, marking 50 years since the historic encounter and reconciliation between the leaders of two of the world's largest religious denominations, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople.
Your Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,
The Palestinian Christian community in occupied Jerusalem, represented by its community-based organizations and individuals welcome you in Your historic visit to our beloved city Jerusalem, where we are receiving you with His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine, to pray together in the Holy Sepulcher today.
Jerusalem saw the birth of the Church. We, our fathers and forefathers, continue this long Christian presence throughout centuries until today in this holy city. This Holy City witnessed Your meeting fifty years ago. At that time, we were free and we were blessed to take part in the ecumenical historical visit. Today, we are the little children under occupation, who are barred from getting near you in our city!
With gratitude to You, a Spiritual Leader and with God's blessings, we are full of hope that Your ecumenical meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis I will inspire the long awaited unity of the One Church, again in Jerusalem. Your pilgrimage is our sign of hope. Hope for the unity of Christians all over the world, but also our Christian hope for freedom from occupation, and for justice for Palestine and Palestinians. We know Your stand with the poor and the victims will prevail in the light of truth.
Jerusalem Christians were 24,000 before Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967. Today, we are less than 9,000! This is due to displacement, house confiscation and demolitions, revocation and denial of residency rights and restrictions of movement under Israeli occupation. We have become an isolated community, economically and socially as a result of Israeli laws against family re-unification, and torn apart by the separation wall. This is the truth of Jerusalem Christians today.
We long to live normal lives in our city with full human rights and total freedom. Not with barriers and bars. We long for a living church, not empty stones. We aspire to self-determination, liberated from an oppressive occupation that imposes discriminatory regulations and laws where Jerusalem becomes exclusive for one people and one religion.
At a time when our mere existence in our city is threatened, we expect a different approach from our religious leadership to emphasize the Christian presence and existence in the Holy Land. We expect Your holiness to make gestures to your constituency that you care for, your constituency that remained faithful to Lord Jesus in his city Jerusalem as the first Christian congregation, and who welcomes you today in love and aspiration.
Unfortunately, Your holiness's program in Jerusalem does not provide any consideration towards the Palestinian Christians' aspirations nor their national leadership to send out a moral voice against Israeli policy of annexation and ethnic cleansing of all non-Jews in Jerusalem. As per International Law, East Jerusalem including all of the Old City is Palestinian.
Thus, the whole Palestinian Christian community in Jerusalem is united in dismay. This issue is both symbolic and legal as red lines as per International Law should not be crossed.
We will keep witnessing for our Lord Jesus and our Christian faith in this land as Palestinians. After the darkness of the Tomb, we will live as the church of the Resurrection.
With these sincere words from Your little ones, we, Jerusalem Christians pray for your successful ecumenical pilgrimage and meetings, believing in the power of truth and prayerful action in facing Empire and earthly powers' oppression, as you have taught us. You are our Father and our guide. We are sure that you will listen to our cry, know our pain and work towards preserving the dignity of all human beings.
With respect and sincerity,
Faithfully Yours,
On behalf of the Palestinian Christians of Jerusalem:
Jerusalem Christian Organizations: Arab Catholic Scouts Group
Arab Orthodox Scouts Group
Arab Orthodox Society -- Jerusalem
Caritas -- Jerusalem
Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees -- Middle East Council of Churches
Greek Catholic Lady of Annunciation Association
International Christian Committee, Laity Committee in the Holy Land
National Christian Association
Pontifical Mission Palestine
SABEEL -- Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center
Seeds of Better Life
Union of Arab Orthodox Club -- Jerusalem
Young Men's Christian Association -- YMCA
Young Women's Christian Association -- YWCA
Kairos Palestine
16:40 Here ends our live report of the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Bethlehem. Francis travels next to occupied Jerusalem, where he will meet Israeli officials and Christian leaders.
16:39 Pope Francis has landed in Tel Aviv to begin the last leg of his visit to the Middle East, reporters observed.
16:19 His Holiness has departed Bethlehem after an intensive day in the southern West Bank city on his first official visit to the Holy Land as pope.
In the morning, Pope Francis led an open-air mass at Bethlehem's historic Manger Square after touring the city and greeting thousands of cheering onlookers.
He later met five Palestinian Christian families from across the West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip, who shared their experiences and struggles facing the community including the occupation and the blockade of Gaza.
The pope continued on to Duheisha refugee camp, where he met with Palestinian children before boarding his helicopter for Tel Aviv.
This evening and tomorrow, the pope will tour occupied East Jerusalem, where Israeli forces are on high alert after earlier arresting 26 Jewish extremists who took part in violent anti-pope clashes.
16:39 Pope Francis has landed in Tel Aviv to begin the last leg of his visit to the Middle East, reporters observed.
16:19 His Holiness has departed Bethlehem after an intensive day in the southern West Bank city on his first official visit to the Holy Land as pope.
In the morning, Pope Francis led an open-air mass at Bethlehem's historic Manger Square after touring the city and greeting thousands of cheering onlookers.
He later met five Palestinian Christian families from across the West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip, who shared their experiences and struggles facing the community including the occupation and the blockade of Gaza.
The pope continued on to Duheisha refugee camp, where he met with Palestinian children before boarding his helicopter for Tel Aviv.
This evening and tomorrow, the pope will tour occupied East Jerusalem, where Israeli forces are on high alert after earlier arresting 26 Jewish extremists who took part in violent anti-pope clashes.