Pope Francis calls for two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians

Pope Francis called for a “negotiated” two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict in his annual Christmas Day address in Rome on Monday.Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Vatican to listen to the head of the Catholic Church deliver his fifth “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and the world”) message in which he called for peace in Jerusalem.”We see Jesus in the children of the Middle East who continue to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians,” he said. “Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders.”It was the second time the Argentine pontiff has spoken out publicly about Jerusalem since U.S. President Trump stoked regional tensions by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

 

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