Pope Urges Leaders 'To Leave No Stone Unturned' In Quest For Two-State Solution

Source: Haaretz/Reuters

Pope Francis invites Israeli, Palestinian presidents to travel to the Vatican.
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By Jack Khoury, Judy Maltz, Nir Hasson and Reuters | May 26, 2014 | 2:48 AM

Pope Francis urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders “to leave no stone unturned” in their quest for a “just and lasting solution” to the ongoing conflict between the sides, upon his arrival in Israel on Sunday afternoon.

On the second day of his Mideast visit, the pope was greeted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres at Ben-Gurion International Airport, where he said “a two-state solution must become reality and not remain merely a dream.”

Earlier, the pope had traveled straight from Jordan to Bethlehem, where he was greeted by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other high-ranking PA officials. Abbas and Pope Francis held a private meeting, after which they attended Mass at the Church of the Nativity, in Manger Square.

En route to Mass, the pope made a surprise stop at the West Bank separation barrier. In an image likely to become the most emblematic of his three-day trip to the Holy Land – and one that swiftly appeared on news media around the world – Francis rested his forehead against the concrete structure that separates Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and prayed silently.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/travel-in-israel/religion-relics/pope-holy-land-visit/1.592783