| Pope condemns denial of Holocaust |
| Monday, 11 May 2009 | |
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He also voiced support for the Palestinians' right to a homeland. The Pope's immediate, forceful and unequivocal condemnation of anti-Semitism in any form and in any part of the world will have pleased his Israeli hosts, the BBC's David Willey reports from Jerusalem. Wreath for the dead Flying in from Jordan, where he visited a mosque at the weekend, Benedict was greeted by Israeli leaders at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv before being flown to Jerusalem by helicopter. "Sadly, anti-Semitism continues to rear its ugly head in many parts of the world," he said as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres sat nearby. "This is totally unacceptable. Every effort must be made to combat anti-Semitism wherever it is found." At the Yad Vashem memorial, where he was flanked by President Peres and other Israeli public figures, Pope Benedict laid a wreath on a stone covering the ashes of people killed in the Holocaust. He shook the hands of six Holocaust survivors and before making a sombre speech about the six million Jews killed. "They lost their lives, but they will never lose their names," he said. "These are indelibly etched in the hearts of their loved ones, their surviving fellow prisoners and all those determined never to allow such an atrocity to disgrace mankind again." 'Just resolution' In his arrival speech, the Pope said the eyes of the world were upon the peoples of the Middle East as they struggled to solve conflicts that had caused so much suffering. "I plead with all those responsible to explore every possible avenue in the search for a just resolution of the outstanding difficulties," he said, "so that both people may live in peace in a homeland of their own within secure and internationally recognised borders." President Peres said he hoped the pontiff's visit would help "pave the road to peace". Prime Minister Netanyahu has now flown to Egypt, where the idea of a two-state solution will be high on the agenda in talks with President Hosni Mubarak. Israel's new prime minister did not make a speech at Ben Gurion and has so far not said if he will support a two-state solution. Our correspondent, who is travelling with the Pope, says the Catholic Church and the current Israeli government do not see eye-to-eye on Palestinian statehood. He says the issue will be the main focus of talks between the Pope and the Israeli government over the next few days. Sacred places The Pope said Israel and the Vatican had many shared values, including the desire to put religion in its rightful place in society. Apart from celebrating Mass in Jerusalem and Nazareth, Pope Benedict will also visit the most sacred places in Jerusalem for Jews and Muslims. He will also visit a Palestinian refugee camp close to Bethlehem. Israel is beefing up security for the trip in an operation named "White Robe", with tens of thousands of law-enforcement officers deployed and entire sections of Jerusalem to be shut down. During the previous leg of his tour - a three-day stay in Jordan - the Pope stressed the importance of Christians and Muslims working together. Analysts say his words are likely to be heavily scrutinised during this week's trip. |
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