Pope Benedict arrived in Israel yesterday and called for a two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians, a reassertion of Vatican policy that is at odds with the new Israeli government.
“I plead with all those responsible to explore every possible avenue in the search for a just resolution of the outstanding difficulties, so that both peoples may live in peace in a homeland of their own, within secure and internationally recognized borders,” he said in a speech at Tel Aviv’s airport.
The pope did not mention the word “state,” something new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted promising the Palestinians, despite pressure from Washington and other allies.
PHOTO: AFP
His reference to two homelands within international borders made clear, however, he was reaffirming the Church’s position in favor of establishing a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu, who was about to fly out to Egypt to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, was in the welcoming party for the pope, along with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
Before the pope spoke, Peres had said: “We have made peace with Egypt and Jordan, and we are negotiating to make peace with the Palestinians. We may also arrive at a comprehensive regional peace in the near future.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah, who met the pope during three days in Jordan that preceded his five-day trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, was quoted yesterday as saying the new US administration was working with him on a comprehensive peace deal with all Muslim countries, a “57-state solution.”
The pope also said on arrival that he had come to pray for peace, there and across the world.
“I take my place in a long line of Christian pilgrims to these shores,” he said in a brief speech.
“I come, like so many others before me, to pray at the holy places, to pray especially for peace — peace here in the Holy Land, and peace throughout the world,” he said.
The pontiff called for free access to Jerusalem for people from all the religions with holy sites in the city.
“One thing that the three great monotheistic religions have in common is a special veneration for that holy city,” he said, referring to Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
“It is my earnest hope that all pilgrims to the holy places will be able to access them freely and without restraint,” the pope said.
Israel has controlled all of Jerusalem since a war in 1967. Its annexation of Arab East Jerusalem, including the Old City with its many holy places, is not recognized internationally.
Israeli leaders say they do all they can to ensure free access. Many Arab Muslims and Christians complain Israeli security controls keep them out.
“Israel safeguards the absolute freedom of religious practice and free access to holy sites. We are glad to welcome pilgrims from throughout the world in the Holy Land,” Peres said in his speech.
READINESS: According to a survey of 2,000 people, 86 percent of Swedes believe the country is worth defending in the event of a military attack Swedes are stocking up on food items in case of war, as more conflict in Europe no longer feels like a distant possibility, and authorities encourage measures to boost readiness. At a civil preparedness fair in southwest Stockholm, 71-year-old Sirkka Petrykowska said that she is taking the prospect of hostilities seriously and preparing as much as she can. “I have bought a camping stove. I have taken a course on preservation in an old-fashioned way, where you can preserve vegetables, meat and fruit that lasts for 30 years without a refrigerator,” Petrykowska said. “I’ve set aside blankets for warmth, I
FRUSTRATIONS: One in seven youths in China and Indonesia are unemployed, and many in the region are stuck in low-productivity jobs, the World Bank said Young people across Asia are struggling to find good jobs, with many stuck in low-productivity work that the World Bank said could strain social stability as frustrations fuel a global wave of youth-led protests. The bank highlighted a persistent gap between younger and more experienced workers across several Asian economies in a regional economic update released yesterday, noting that one in seven young people in China and Indonesia are unemployed. The share of people now vulnerable to falling into poverty is now larger than the middle class in most countries, it said. “The employment rate is generally high, but the young struggle to
ENERGY SHIFT: A report by Ember suggests it is possible for the world to wean off polluting sources of power, such as coal and gas, even as demand for electricity surges Worldwide solar and wind power generation has outpaced electricity demand this year, and for the first time on record, renewable energies combined generated more power than coal, a new analysis said. Global solar generation grew by a record 31 percent in the first half of the year, while wind generation grew 7.7 percent, according to the report by the energy think tank Ember, which was released after midnight yesterday. Solar and wind generation combined grew by more than 400 terawatt hours, which was more than the increase in overall global demand during the same period, it said. The findings suggest it is
‘ARMED CONFLICT’: At least 21 people have died in such US attacks, while experts say the summary killings are illegal even if they target confirmed narcotics traffickers US forces on Friday carried out a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat off the coast of Venezuela, killing four people, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said. The latest strike, which Hegseth announced in a post on X, brings the number of such US attacks to at least four, leaving at least 21 people dead. An accompanying video shared by Hegseth showed a boat speeding across the waves before being engulfed in smoke and flames. “Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed,” the Pentagon chief wrote. He said the strike “was conducted in international waters just off the
RSS