Pope Francis Visits Israel and Palestinian Territories

In May 2014, Pope Francis visited Israel and the Palestinian territories. He offered symbolic gestures to both sides in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He visited the Western Wall, Yad Vashem, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He became the first pope to visit the grave of Theodor Herzl, entered the West Bank from Jordan rather than Israel, and invited Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli president Shimon Peres to a prayer summit at the Vatican—both accepted. He also visited Bethlehem, where he gave a speech alongside Abbas and celebrated Mass at the Church of the Nativity. At the invitation of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he visited the Victims of Acts of Terror Memorial; at the invitation of Palestinian authorities, he prayed at a portion of the Israeli West Bank barrier. In addition to meetings with Peres and Netanyahu, Francis met Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, Chief Rabbis Yitzhak Yosef and David Lau, and Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Places Shmuel Rabinowitz.