Pope Francis visited the West Bank in what was seen as a symbolic acceptance of Palestinian statehood in a trip to the Palestinian region today, whilst labelling the failure of talks between Palestine and Israel unacceptable, reports The Guardian.
The pope, during his visit to the Middle-Eastern region, broke tradition and bypassed Tel Aviv to fly directly in to the West Bank.
The pope, during his visit to the Middle-Eastern region, broke tradition and bypassed Tel Aviv to fly directly in to the West Bank.
“The Time has come to put an end to this situation, which has become increasingly unacceptable. The Time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative in the service of the common good,” said Pope Francis whilst addressing crowds in Bethlehem with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
“The fact that he is coming straight from Jordan to Bethlehem without going through Israel is a tacit recognition of a Palestinian state,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a senior official of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO).