Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Palestinian Head Abbas Meets with Pope Francis; Asks Pope Back E. Jerusalem as Palestine Capital

The Vatican expressed concern over the status of Jerusalem yesterday, as Pope Francis and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held their first meeting since the U.S. stirred international chaos by moving its embassy there last May, the World Israel News website reports today (December 4, 2018).

"Particular attention was reserved for the status of Jerusalem, underlining the importance of recognizing and preserving its identity and the universal value of the Holy City for the three Abrahamic religions," a Vatican statement said, referring to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

U.S. President Donald Trump infuriated the Arab world last year when he reversed decades of policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and deciding to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Palestinians -- with broad international backing -- want eastern Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state, while Israel views the whole city as its own capital. Abbas has refused to allow the Palestinians to take part in any Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in which the U.S. would serve as mediator because he believes the recent U.S. policy on Jerusalem betrayed the Palestinians and favored Israel.

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