Pope Francis speaks out against Israeli - Palestinian conflict and shows his opposition to the ongoing conflict

The Guardian reported yesterday (25 May 2014) that the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, Pope Francis, visited the security barrier separating Israel from Palestine at Bethlehem to speak and pray there.

"It is an image that will define Pope Francis's first official visit to the Holy Land. Head bowed in prayer, the leader of the Catholic church pressed his palm against the graffiti-covered concrete of Israel's imposing "separation wall", a Palestinian girl holding a flag by his side. It was, as his aides conceded later, a silent statement against a symbol of division and conflict."

Source : Pope Francis offers prayers at Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem
The Guardian


CNN also reports on Pope Francis' visit to the separation barrier, giving a more thorough account of his words while there:

"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," Francis said. 

"I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer." 

He added, "Building peace is difficult, but living without peace is a constant torment. The men and women of these lands, and of the entire world, all of them, ask us to bring before God their fervent hopes for peace."

Source : Pope Francis invites Israeli, Palestinian heads to Vatican peace talks
CNN.com


B'Tselem is the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. They report the following about the Separation Barrier:

"In June 2002, the Israeli cabinet decided to erect a physical barrier separating Israel and the West Bank with the declared objective of regulating the entry of Palestinians from the West Bank into Israel. In most areas, the Separation Barrier is comprised of an electronic fence flanked by paved pathways, barbed-wire fences, and trenches. The average width of the barrier is 60 meters. In a few locations, the security establishment decided to build a concrete wall six to eight meters high in place of this type of barrier. The full route of the Separation Barrier – the portions already built, those under construction, and those not yet implemented – is 709–kilometers long, twice as long as the Green Line."

Source : The Separation Barrier
B'Tselem


Again according to The Guardian, the Pope visited the Dome of the Rock mosque earlier today. This mosque sits on the Temple Mount which is the most holy location in all of Judaism. Jerusalem is also important to Islam as it is seen as the location from which Muhammad travelled to heaven on a winged horse. The Western Wall where Jews come to pray today is part of the foundation walls of the Second Temple which was destroyed in 70 CE.

"Speaking to the grand mufti of Jerusalem and other Muslim authorities, Francis deviated from his prepared remarks to refer not just to his "dear friends" but "dear brothers". At the meeting he urged non-violence: "Dear friends, from this holy place I make a heartfelt plea to all people and to all communities who look to Abraham. May no one abuse the name of God through violence. May we learn to understand the suffering of others. May no one abuse the name of God through violence."

Source : Pope Francis makes unofficial stop at Israeli terrorism memorial
The Guardian