Transition official says Trump will make Mike Huckabee ambassador to Israel and move U.S. embassy to Jerusalem: 'Governor Huckabee is going to see it through'

By David Martosko, Us Political Editor For Dailymail.com In Washington

(The Daily Mail) Mike Huckabee is headed back to the Holy Land.

The two-time White House hopeful, former Fox New Channel weekend host and former governor of Arkansas will be America's next ambassador to Israel, a presidential transition official confirmed to DailyMail.com on Friday. He is scheduled to meet with President-Elect Donald Trump Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Huckabee, an ordained Baptist preacher and electric bass player, will become the tip of Trump's spear as he seeks to shake up U.S. foreign relations in the Middle East, beginning with relocating America's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

'That's going to happen,' the transition official said. 'Governor Huckabee is going to see it through.'

Despite congressional approval for moving the U.S. embassy, American leaders have historically tap-danced around the issue of where in Israel America's diplomatic footprint should fall. No other nation has its embassy in Jerusalem.

Still, Israel's Knesset and Supreme Court are located in West Jerusalem. And the nation captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 'Six-Day War,' taking control of it from Jordan.

Read More at the Daily Mail

Link:

• Transition official says Trump will make Mike Huckabee ambassador to Israel and move U.S. embassy to Jerusalem: 'Governor Huckabee is going to see it through'

Arab Newspaper: Maronite patriarch's Jerusalem visit would be 'historic sin'

Beirut (AFP) - A visit to Jerusalem by the patriarch of the Lebanon-based Maronite church to greet Pope Francis would be a "historic sin", a leading newspaper close to the anti-Israeli Hezbollah said Saturday.

Patriarch Beshara Rai, whose church is the largest Christian denomination in Lebanon, told AFP on Friday he would travel to the Holy Land to welcome the pontiff during his brief May 24-26 visit.

In doing so, he would be the first patriarch to do so since the creation in 1948 of Israel, with which Lebanon is technically at war.

In response, the leading Arab nationalist daily As-Safir ran a critical piece headlined "Historic sin: Rai goes to Israel".

Calling it a "dangerous precedent", the daily argued that the trip would "not serve the interests of Lebanon and the Lebanese, nor those of Palestine and the Palestinians nor Christians and Christianity".

It speculated on whether the patriarch, who is also a Roman Catholic cardinal, "would shake hands with Israeli leaders who will be in the front row to welcome Pope Francis to Jerusalem".

Even if he does not, he would still have to coordinate his trip with Israeli officials, the paper added, claiming that the visit "is part of the normalisation between the head of the Catholic church and the occupier".

Al-Akhbar, another newspaper close to Hezbollah, said a group of Lebanese politicians will try to dissuade Rai "from visiting Jerusalem as long as it is under Israeli occupation, which would signify a normalisation with the occupier".

Lebanese citizens are banned from entering Israel, but Maronite clergy may to travel to the Holy Land to minister to the estimated 10,000 faithful there.

Rai insisted that the trip will be strictly religious and has no political significance.

The Maronite church has its roots in the Fertile Crescent of the early 5th century. It is named after St Maron, a hermit whose holiness and miracles attracted many followers.

Following a bloody persecution a century later, the Maronites fled to the mountains of what is now Lebanon to seek refuge.

They have their own distinct theology, spirituality, liturgy and code of canon law, but are in full communion with Rome.

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• Maronite patriarch's Jerusalem visit would be 'historic sin'

Israel vandals hit mosque, church as Christians threatened

Jerusalem (AFP) - Vandals suspected of being Jewish extremists hit a mosque and a church in Israel, police said Tuesday, in the latest of a string of racist and religious attacks.

In a separate development, police arrested an Israeli man after he threatened the Roman Catholic bishop of Nazareth and demanded that Catholics leave the country or face God's wrath.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP vandals had scrawled "Close mosques and not yeshivas" (Jewish seminaries) on the outer wall of a mosque in the small Arab town of Fureidis, near the northern port city of Haifa.

The tyres of several nearby cars had been slashed.

Police were also investigating vandalism at Tabgha church on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, which was built on the site where Christians believe Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

Church officials said a group of religious Jews in their early teens had damaged crosses there and attacked clergy. 

Elsewhere in northern Israel, police arrested a Jewish man in his 40s for threatening Roman Catholic Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo of Nazareth, and members of his faith.

- Letter from the 'Messiah' -

In the letter, the suspect said all Christians, "except Protestants and Anglicans," should leave Israel by May 5 that if Marcuzzo and his community did not comply, they would all be "killed by the heavens".

There are also other Christian communities in Israel, such as the Eastern Orthodox, Armenians and Copts.

The letter, which was signed by "the Messiah, Son of David," quoted Jewish sources who hold that Christianity is a form of idolatry and should be banned. 

The suspect said the message must be distributed to the community through the media by 1700 GMT Tuesday, saying every hour of delay would "cost the lives of 100 Christian souls."

Reacting to the vandalism, police spokesman Rosenfeld said "crimes committed for nationalist motives are extremely serious."

President Shimon Peres apologised to the mayor of Fureidis in the name of Israel's citizens, and said in remarks relayed by his office "we will do our utmost to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice."

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni also condemned the incidents.

"Whoever did these deeds is not part of my people," she wrote on her Facebook page, pledging to "catch and punish" those responsible. 

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries in the Holy Land said there was "a grave and increasing frequency of what are called 'price tag' attacks, which, in the absence of any real response, are becoming a dangerous phenomenon, threatening one and all."

Denouncing the attacks in Tabgha, the letter to the bishop and the Fureidis attack, it demanded "a thorough and serious investigation of those who incite, on an almost daily basis, against those who differ from them in opinion or belief.

"We pray that the events of yesterday and today might be the last of these criminal events, witnessed by our holy places and religious symbols in this Holy Land," its statement added.

Politically motivated acts of vandalism with their trademark Hebrew graffiti are euphemistically known as "price tag" attacks.

Carried out by suspected Jewish extremists, thought to be predominantly teenagers, the attacks initially targeted Palestinians and their property. They have since grown in scope to include Christian sites and anyone opposed to the settlements.

Link:

• Israel vandals hit mosque, church as Christians threatened

Church of the Holy Sepulchre in row over water bill

 

The church is a major pilgrimage site for millions of visitors to the Holy Land

(BBC) The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem has warned that it may shut its doors to pilgrims in protest at a dispute with an Israeli water company. 

The church, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, has had its bank account frozen at the request of Hagihon over an unpaid $2.3m bill.

The dispute has left hundreds of priests, monks and teachers unpaid.
The church has traditionally not been charged for water, but Hagihon says it is owed money for the past 15 years.

'Unjustified step'

According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, there was a tacit agreement between the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem - which, along with the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic Franciscan Custos, is jointly responsible for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre's administration - and a former mayor of the city that the church would be exempt from water bills.

But in 2004, Hagihon sent a demand to the church for 3.7m shekels ($950,000; £590,000). It was backdated to when the company took over the water supply in the late 1990s.

The Patriarchate reportedly believed it was a mistake because Hagihon did not press it to pay. The company is now demanding that the bill, which has risen to 9m shekels ($2.3m; £1.4m) including interest, be settled. A Hagihon spokesman said Israeli law did not permit any exemptions.

The company had not taken other enforcement steps, such as shutting off the water supply, in order not to disrupt activities at the site, he added.

Father Isidoros Fakitsas, Superior of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, told the Associated Press that an agreement had been reached with Hagihon a few weeks ago.

Under the deal, various denominations of the church would pay their monthly bill and the 9m-shekel debt was to be forgotten, he said.

But to his surprise the Patriarchate's bank account was blocked, making it impossible to pay stipends to some 500 priests and monks, 2,000 teachers and the running costs of more than 30 schools.

According to Maariv, other services have also been affected, including telephones, internet and electricity, as well as companies supplying food.

Father Fakitsas said the Patriarchate would be able to function despite the frozen bank account and that it would try to find an alternative if matters became too difficult, such as opening another bank account.

Patriarch Theophilos III wrote a letter to Israel's prime minister and president warning that the "enforcement of this unjustified step undermines the sanctity and offends the sensitivity of the site".

He told Maariv: "If nothing changes we intend to announce... for the first time in centuries, that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is closed."

The other Christian denominations which jointly manage the church are said to support the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in its battle.

The Israeli tourism ministry said the issue was between the Patriarchate and the Jerusalem municipality, but that it was trying to mediate between them and hoped that the dispute would be resolved quickly.

Link:

• Church of the Holy Sepulchre in row over water bill

Catholic Bishops Criticize Israel on Palestinians

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: January 14, 2010

Filed at 10:04 a.m. ET

JERUSALEM (AP) -- A high-level delegation of Roman Catholic bishops criticized Israeli polices in Arab sectors of Jerusalem on Thursday and called for more contacts between ordinary Israelis and Palestinians.

The group of eight bishops from North America and Europe said violence, insecurity, the route of Israel's West Bank separation barrier, home demolitions and other policies threaten peace prospects and endanger the dwindling Christian presence in the Holy Land.

The issue of Jerusalem -- home to holy sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims -- remains the most flammable in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians claim the city's eastern sector as the capital of their future state. Israel, which captured east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war, insists the city will never be divided.

In a statement issued at the end of their annual visit, the bishops called for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

''For us, this is not merely about politics; it is an issue of basic human rights,'' the statement said.

During their visit, the bishops visited Christian institutions in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, talked with Palestinians about their lives and listened to presentations from Israeli and Palestinian experts. It was unclear if they met with ordinary Jewish Israelis.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev disputed the group's criticisms of Israel's east Jerusalem policies.

''Only since reuniting Jerusalem in 1967 have the holy places of all faiths been protected under law and freedom of religion has prevailed,'' he said.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the bishops spoke of watching Palestinian children cross Israeli checkpoints to return from school and the humiliation Palestinians say they feel at such places. Israel says the crossings are necessary to prevent attacks.

Bishop Gerald Kicanas, vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the human rights situation for Palestinians in the Holy Land has gotten worse during the 20 years that he has been visiting the region.

Kicanas, also the bishop of Tucson, Arizona, said Israeli and Palestinian youth lack opportunities to meet each other.

''Unless they find a way to engage one another, to meet one another as ordinary human beings, the situation will remain grave,'' he said.

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Top photo: (AP) Seen from left, French Bishop Michel Dubost, German Bishop Stephan Ackermann, Canadian Bishop Pierre Morissette, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, third right, Italian Archbishop Riccardo Fontana, second right, and US Bishop Gerald Kicanas, right, listen to English Bishop William Kenney CP, center, during a press conference concerning the release of the final communique of the 10th Holy Land Coordination in Jerusalem's Old City, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010.
Right side photo: (AP) US Bishop Gerald Kicanas is seen during a press conference concerning the release of the final communique of the 10th Holy Land Coordination in Jerusalem's Old City, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010.

Israel, Vatican to hold talks over Church property

(AFP) JERUSALEM — A top Israeli official was headed to the Vatican on Wednesday for a new round of talks on long-standing disputes over Church property in the Holy Land and other issues that have marred ties.

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon will head an Israeli delegation at the plenary meeting of the joint economic commission starting Thursday, according to a ministry statement, which sounded an upbeat note despite the continuing, deep-rooted disagreements.

The negotiations "are in their final stages after reaching significant understandings in recent months," mainly on issues of taxation and the legal status of Vatican personnel, it said.

But senior officials told AFP that, despite much agreement between the two sides, differences remain over the status of more than 100 Church properties in Israel, occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank.

In the case of six sites in Jerusalem and the Galilee area, Israel rejects demands that the Church be granted full control of its property, and wishes to maintain a right to expropriate sections of the sites for future public infrastructure works.

"We will insist on our right to expropriate" Vatican property in case the need arises, the statement said.

A senior official involved in the talks said "the disagreement is over the future of the land surrounding the sites and what the state could do with them... The state wants to be allowed to use it for infrastructure work."

The most contentious property is the Cenacle, which Christians believe to be the site of the Last Supper and which is located on the second floor of the ancient Mount Zion building that houses King David's tomb.

"Everything that has to do with Jerusalem and Mount Zion will remain under full Israeli sovereignty. The issue is not on the table," the official said.

Another source of discord is the status of the Hospice of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, which cares for Palestinians with severe physical and mental handicaps.

Israeli developers have long been interested in the sprawling site, which sits on prime real estate just outside the Christian quarter walls of the Old City.

Under a bilateral agreement signed in 1993, which marked a historic rapprochement between Israel and the Vatican, a joint commission was set up to resolve the financial and real estate issues, notably in territory occupied by the Jewish state after 1967.

Negotiations have sputtered ever since they resumed in 2004 after a 10-year hiatus.

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Vatican-Israeli fiscal agreement could be ready by year's end

Jerusalem, Israel, May 22, 2009 / 08:42 pm (CNA).- The Custodian of the Holy Land, Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said this week that “conditions exists for finishing the fiscal agreement” between the Holy See and the State of Israel “by the end of this year.” He also reported that, “A good portion of the points have been resolved.”

Father Pizzaballa’s remarks were part of comments he made about the recent trip of Benedict XVI to the Holy Land, which ended on May 15.

Speaking to the Italian bishops' news agency, he explained that “the issue regarding the fiscal exception is at a good point, but there still needs to be discussion about the issue of the Holy Places, which is something we are discussing at this time.”

Regarding the Upper Room, which Israel is considering returning to the Church, Father Pizzaballa said, “It is an issue that has a long history and will be studied in detail. In fact, there has been no discussion on the matter since the year 2000.”

Asked later about the issuance of visas for religious and priests, in particular for those who come from Arab countries, the Custodian said, “That has already been discussed even recently with the Prime Minister, but there have not been any immediate exchanges. We hope, however, for a normalization in the short term.”

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Israel may be ready to back two-state solution

Pope Benedict XVI (R) shakes hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres (L) during his departure ceremony at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. The pope on Friday called for a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict and slammed the Holocaust as "brutal extermination" as he wound up a Holy Land tour. (AFP/Jonathan Nackstrand)

May 16 01:50 PM US/Eastern
By AMY TEIBEL
Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM (AP) - On the eve of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's crucial visit to Washington, his defense minister suggested Saturday the Israeli leader might be ready to endorse a Palestinian state when he meets President Barack Obama.

That would be a significant shift for Netanyahu, who has made clear in the past that he does not think the Palestinians are ready to rule themselves. But that position has put him at odds with long-standing U.S. policy that supports Palestinian statehood as the cornerstone of Mideast peace efforts.

"I think and believe that Netanyahu will tell Obama this government is prepared to go for a political process that will result in two peoples living side by side in peace and mutual respect," Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Channel 2 TV on Saturday.

Barak said he thought an agreement with the Palestinians could be achieved within three years. However, he did not explicitly use the word state in his remark, leaving open other options for Netanyahu...

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Pope encourages Holy Land's 'little flock' at site of Last Supper

JERUSALEM (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the "little flock" of Christians in the Holy Land to persevere as a vital presence in society and a witness to unity in the troubled region.

The pope met with the bishops of the Holy Land May 12 in the chapel of the Cenacle, which tradition says is the "upper room" of Jesus' Last Supper and the place where the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles at Pentecost.

He sought to bring energy and hope to a flock that has decreased drastically. Over the last 40 years, the Christian population in the Holy Land has gone from about 20 percent of the population to about 2 percent.

In a speech, the pope said one key element for the church's future is an effort to build unity among its various branches.

The Christian presence in the Holy Land, he said, is of "vital importance for the good of society as a whole." The church, though small in numbers, can act as a leaven in society, transforming hearts and shaping actions, and promoting a "climate of peace in diversity."

The pope said the church must avoid the temptation to "turn in upon ourselves in selfishness or indolence, isolation, prejudice or fear." It should carry out its mission in the Holy Land with frankness and courage, he said.

The pope commended the bishops for setting up assistance programs for local Catholics, and told them they could also count on his support. The Holy See coordinates funding for hundreds of projects and programs for the people in the region.

Pope Benedict cited Jesus' words in St. Luke's Gospel: "Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

Afterward, the pope visited Jerusalem's Latin-rite co-cathedral, kneeling in eucharistic adoration and greeting the 300 people who gathered inside. Before the pope arrived, seminarians briefly unfurled a Palestinian flag from a balcony.

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3 Public Papal Masses Bringing Eager Expectation

Common Hope Is Peace for Troubled Homeland

By Chiara Santomiero

JERUSALEM, MAY 11, 2009 (Zenit.org).- "We are awaiting the Pope like children await their father," says Eli Hajjar, thus summarizing the Christians' sense of expectation at Benedict XVI's visit to the Holy Land.

The Holy Father arrived today in Israel, after spending a busy three days in Jordan. He does not return to Rome until Friday, scheduled to give 29 addresses during his weeklong pilgrimage.

Hajjar, a 21-year-old student at Bethlehem University, is part of a parish group that gives catechism classes to kids and does social activities for the elderly.

Many of the members of his group are now involved in preparing for the papal trip, particularly the Mass the Pontiff will celebrate Tuesday in Gethsemane.

"We are decorating the streets the Pope will pass by," Hajjar said. "Some are participating in the choir that will sing during the liturgy. [...] All of us are praying that the Pope has a tranquil trip."

"Today the Christians, and especially the Catholics," he continued, "live the great hope that the Pope will bring peace again to our lives. Also Jews and Muslims, for their part, hope to better know this great man who is the Successor of Peter."

Bethlehem

Bethlehem is also awaiting the Pope with hope. Vicenzo Bellomo an Italian layman from the Fidei Donum movement, has been in the Middle East for three years, working for the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land in the region of Bethlehem.

"The visit to Bethlehem," he explained, "is a visit to a closed-in surrounded territory. From here, one can only leave with permission. It's a bit like visiting the imprisoned, though it is a very special site."

The Pontiff will celebrate Mass there on Wednesday.

Bellomo said there is a "very beautiful hope, with great enthusiasm and great confidence in this Pope."

"Words of truth are hoped from him, about Gaza and about the situation of the Christians here," he added.

Nazareth

The last large Mass on Benedict XVI's schedule will take place in Nazareth on Thursday, his last full day in the Holy Land.

For that celebration, too, the climate of expectation is notable. Discalced Carmelite Father Renato Rosso is organizing the buses for the faithful of the St. Joseph parish, the only Latin-rite parish in Haifa, including a group of about 100 Catholic Action youth.

"For the majority of them this is the first occasion not only to meet the Pope, but also to come into contact with Christians from diverse parts of the world," he said.

And again, peace is the principal hope for these Christians.

"Also on the part of Jews and Muslims," Father Rosso reflected, "this trip is seen as a sign to reaffirm the will for peace and to encounter a solution for the great problems of the Palestinian community."

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Pope: I come to pray at the holy places for peace

Peres wants to hand over Christian sites in Israel to Vatican

By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

President Shimon Peres is urging the government to yield control of key Christian holy sites to the Vatican, a position that is believed to be opposed by Interior Minister Eli Yishai.

The Vatican's longstanding demand that Israel transfer sovereignty of key Christian sites to the control of the Holy See has created dissension among senior officials in Jerusalem.

The Interior Ministry has vowed to retain control of the sites, calling relinquishment a "sacrifice" of Israeli sovereignty.

"This matter is under the minister's authority, and he is not prepared to sacrifice Israeli sovereignty, even if it is only symbolic," Yishai's spokesman Roi Rachmanovitch said.

Peres is pressing the government to agree to the Vatican's request that Israel surrender control of six religious sites, among them the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth; the Coenaculum on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where Jesus is said to have held The Last Supper; the Gethsemane, which sits at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem; Mount Tabor; and the Church of the Multiplication, which hugs the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee.

Peres is lobbying Yishai to concede the sites to the Catholic Church, Army Radio reported.

"If we were sure that this great gift to the Christian world would bring millions of Christian pilgrims here, then we would have a good reason to think about [agreeing to the demand]," Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov told Army Radio. "But since we are not certain that this will happen, why should we hand out gifts?"

The dispute between Jerusalem and the Holy See threatens to cast a pall over next week's historic visit to the Holy Land by Pope Benedict XVI. Vatican officials have made clear that they intend to reiterate their demand during the visit that Israel hand over control of the Coenaculum, Army Radio reported.

Israel gears up for papal visit

The police and the security establishment have no specific information about potential attacks targeting Pope Benedict XVI, who is scheduled to visit Nazareth on May 14, the northern district police commander said on Sunday.

Speaking at a briefing ahead of the pontiff's visit, Maj. Gen. Shimon Koren said the police will deploy thousands of personnel around the site of the planned mass on Precipice Mountain and at the Basilica of the Annunciation.

The police and the Shin Bet are providing security for the events.

Koren also said that as of Sunday, no requests had been filed to demonstrate against the Nazareth visit. The police will approve protest requests so long as they do not overshadow or disrupt the pope's visit, he said.

Senior police officers at the briefing included Amakim district head Brig. Gen. Zohar Dvir, who will be responsible for security at the basilica, and coastal district head Brig. Gen. Ronny Atias, who will be in charge of securing the mass on Precipice Mountain.

Starting May 13, police will block access to the sites and their approach roads. However, Koren said tourists and pilgrims in Nazareth will be allowed to move freely.

The services at the two sites are invitation only; invitees will be shuttled to the sites from pick-up points.

The Foreign Ministry on Sunday launched a Web site dedicated to the pope's visit.

The site - http://popeinisrael.org.il - is in eight languages (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Italian, German and Hebrew) and contains textual and audio-visual information on the papal pilgrimage, Israel-Vatican relations, and Christian communities and holy sites in Israel.

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Some scenes in the wadi of Mount Carmel

From FatherGeorgeBloggingLourdes:

"Coming out of the wadi of Mount Carmel, what is it that we see?"

Let’s take a closer look:

When I walked up into the wadi I was pursued by the sound of the loudspeakers, whose sound filled the entire wadi and beyond. If you’re thinking nasty thoughts, don’t. That’s useless. Pray that the truth in charity will conquer hearts and souls.

Anyway, much further up into the wadi, we come to the original foundation of the Carmelites, which was almost immediately destroyed by Islam. Here’s the chapel, partially rebuilt for you to get the idea. That’s the main entrance. Quite impressive architecture, really.

Here’s what’s left of the ad orientem altar and smaller side chapels. They didn’t like the sanctuary of the chapel either. If you’re thinking nasty thoughts, don’t. That’s useless. Pray that the truth in charity will conquer hearts and souls.

Here’s the new chapel, a fortress. There is constant vandalism. What’s that I see written on the side of the chapel? If you’re thinking nasty thoughts, don’t. That’s useless. Pray that the truth in charity will conquer hearts and souls.

Don’t forget, we are in the Holy Land here. The land is holy because of the blood of the martyrs and the blood of Christ which the land drank in.

As I write this, one of the O.C.D. fathers who has been here forever told me the pictures of the dove which accompanied me the other day is the first time he’s seen that kind of bird here. And he’s been here for a long time. Let’s see if we can find another picture of our friend:

Now, if you’re thinking good thoughts with that… Good! Please, continue!

Now, what would a wadi be without water? Here’s a short film:

More to come…"

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Papal trip to Holy Land takes shape

By John Thavis
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI's planned trip to the Holy Land was slowly taking shape in February, and the tentative schedule included a number of important pastoral and interreligious events.

The proposed itinerary would take the pope to Jordan May 8-11, for a visit to the new King Hussein Mosque in Amman, meetings with Jordanian officials, a Mass for Catholics in a soccer stadium, a stop at Jesus' baptism site at the Jordan River and a pilgrimage to Mount Nebo, where Moses once looked out at the Promised Land.

The pope would travel from Jordan to Israel May 11 and visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem the same day. Over the next three and a half days, he would visit the Western Wall, sacred to Jews; meet with Jewish and Muslim leaders; hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders; visit a Palestinian refugee camp; and celebrate Mass in Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jerusalem.

Before returning to Rome May 15, the tentative schedule calls for the pope to hold a brief ecumenical encounter and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There was talk of a papal stop in war-devastated Gaza, but Vatican sources said there were no firm plans for such an event; instead, a delegation of Gaza residents was expected to attend one of the papal Masses.

The Vatican's chief papal trip planner was expected to meet with local organizers in late February to work out a definitive schedule for the visit.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Antonio Franco, the Vatican nuncio to Israel and Palestinian territories, said the importance of the papal visit to the small Catholic community in the Holy Land should not be overlooked.

"The visit of the pope is that of the spiritual head of the Catholic community, and so he is coming to visit his children who are here, in Jordan and the Holy Land," Archbishop Franco told the Italian news agency SIR.

"One hopes that everyone who wants to come will be able to breathe the atmosphere of peace that will surely be created during the visit, and to listen to a message of peace and reconciliation that can stimulate people to build a better world," he said.

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Pontiff's Israel Trip Seen as "Courageous"

Vatican Spokesman Explains Context

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 15, 2009 (Zenit.org).- A Vatican spokesman has called Benedict XVI's determination to travel to Jerusalem is "a courageous decision."

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, analyzed the Pope's decision to visit the Holy Land on the latest episode of the Vatican television program "Octava Dies."

According to sources in Rome and Jerusalem, the Pontiff will travel to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories during the second week of May.

Benedict XVI personally announced Feb. 12 that he is preparing for this trip during an audience with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

"It is great news," Father Lombardi said. "It is the desire of all Jews and Christians to go to Jerusalem. The ancient Israelites went up to the city singing, Jesus set out for Jerusalem decisively to fully accomplish the will of the Father."

He explained that in visiting the Holy Land, pilgrims visit "the most holy places, the places of meeting between God and men which marked the history of our salvation."

"The Pope also has this desire," said Father Lombardi. "Although he has already been there, he feels the importance of returning as the head of a community of believers, who can go on pilgrimage in spiritual union with him and through him to the places that are at the root of their faith."

"It was not by chance that Paul VI began the series of international trips by Popes in the Holy Land and that John Paul II followed in his footsteps, offering unforgettable signs of reconciliation and hope for peace," he said. "Now it is Benedict's turn. His is a courageous decision."

Father Lombardi explained that currently "there is the uncertain political situation, the numerous internal divisions among various camps. There are the continual tensions of region overrun with conflicts and most recently the scene of a war that devastated the Gaza Strip and profoundly wounded its people.

"The peace process is hard put to make decisive progress. Shadows or diffidence often return to obscure the well begun dialogue between the Jewish world and the Catholic Church."

"But it is necessary to go all the same," the spokesman added. "Indeed, perhaps for all these reasons it is urgent to go. To pray in the places most crucial in the confrontation between hate and love: There where reconciliation seems impossible from a human point of view.

"To remind [us] that the name and the vocation of Jerusalem is to be the 'city of peace,' of the meeting of peoples in the name of a God of salvation, peace and love for all."

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Benedict XVI Prepares Holy Land Visit

Personally Confirms Plan

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 12, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's preparations for his trip to the Holy Land are under way, as he himself confirmed today in a meeting with a Jewish delegation from the United States.

The Pope was visited today in the Vatican by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

According to sources from both Jerusalem and Rome, the Holy Father's first pilgrimage to Israel and the surrounding region will take place during the second week of May.

He confirmed his intention to make the visit, despite doubts cast on the plan by the conflict in Gaza and the scandal caused by Lefebvrite Bishop Richard Williamson.

Rabbi Arthur Schneier of New York told the Pontiff, "The promised land awaits your arrival."

And noting that his guests were scheduled to visit the Holy Land after their time in Italy, Benedict XVI said: "I too am preparing to visit Israel, a land which is holy for Christians as well as Jews, since the roots of our faith are to be found there.

"Indeed, the Church draws its sustenance from the root of that good olive tree, the people of Israel, onto which have been grafted the wild olive branches of the Gentiles. From the earliest days of Christianity, our identity and every aspect of our life and worship have been intimately bound up with the ancient religion of our fathers in faith."

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Son of Hamas leader describes conversion to Christianity

Sacramento, Aug 14, 2008 / 04:10 pm (CNA).- Masab-Joseph Yousef, a son of prominent West Bank MP Sheikh Hassan Yousef, has discussed his conversion to Christianity in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Praying that his family will “open their eyes to Jesus,” he expressed love for his enemies and claimed Muslims’ conversion to Christianity is the only way to have a chance for peace in the Holy Land.

Yousef, 30, said his first exposure to Christianity came in Jerusalem about eight years ago, when he was invited to learn about the faith. He converted four years ago, but did not tell his father.
“For years I helped my father, the Hamas leader, and he didn't know that I had converted, only that I had Christian friends,” he said to Haaretz.

His father, Sheikh Yousef, was a founder of the extremist group Hamas in the West Bank and was imprisoned for several years for his membership in the organization.

Masab-Joseph Yousef, the oldest of eight siblings, was expected to take an active role assisting in the political work of his father, whom he claimed is opposed to killing civilians. He characterized the Israelis’ arrests of his father as very influential events in his life.

“I only knew that the Israeli army had arrested my father repeatedly, and for me he was everything: a good, loving man who would do anything for me. He took care of us, bought us gifts, gave of himself, whereas the soldiers entered our house and took him away from me.”

Arrested at the age of 18 for his leadership role in his high school Islamic society, Yousef told Haaretz he discovered in prison that most Hamas members were not as admirable as his father.

“Their leaders in prison received better conditions, such as the best food, as well as more family visits and towels for the shower. These people have no morals, they have no integrity,” he said, alleging Hamas leaders also embezzle money meant for widowed families.

Yousef, who now lives in California, described how an invitation to learn more about Christianity led him to convert.

“I was very enthusiastic about what I heard. I began to read the Bible every day and I continued with religion lessons. I did it in secret, of course. I used to travel to the Ramallah hills, to places like the Al Tira neighborhood, and to sit there quietly with the amazing landscape and read the Bible.”

“A verse like ‘Love thine enemy’ had a great influence on me,” he continued. “At this stage I was still a Muslim and I thought that I would remain one. But every day I saw the terrible things done in the name of religion by those who considered themselves 'great believers.'”

He explained that further study of Islam did not satisfy him.

“I feel that Christianity has several aspects. It's not only a religion but a faith,” Yousef continued. “I now see God through Jesus and can tell about him for days on end, whereas the Muslims won't be able to say anything about God.”

Yousef said he now considers Islam to be a “big lie,” alleging that people who supposedly represent Islam “admired Mohammed more than God, killed innocent people in the name of Islam, beat their wives and don't have any idea what God is.” He said he had no doubt such people would go to Hell, and proclaimed that “the way of Jesus” is the “one way to Paradise.”

Yousef expressed hopes for his family’s conversion and his own future return to the Holy Land.

“I know that I'm endangering my life and am even liable to lose my father, but I hope that he'll understand this and that God will give him and my family the patience and willingness to open their eyes to Jesus and to Christianity. Maybe one day I'll be able to return to Palestine and to Ramallah together with Jesus, in the Kingdom of God,” he told Haaretz.

He said he was trying to start an organization to teach the occupied territories in Palestine about Christianity. He also appealed for the conversion of his former co-religionists so that “they'll have an opportunity to correct their mistakes, to become better people and to bring a chance for peace in the Middle East.”

“Many people will hate me for this interview, but I'm telling them that I love all of them, even those who hate me,” he commented. “I invite all the people, including the terrorists among them, to open their hearts and believe.”

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Urgent Papal Appeal for Mideast Peace

Vatican, Mar. 10, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) renewed his plea for peace in the Middle East during his Angelus audience on Sunday, March 9.

"Over the last few days, violence and horror have once again bloodied the Holy Land, nourishing the spiral of destruction and death which seems to have no end," the Pope said. He appealed to the faithful to redouble their prayers for peace and express his sympathy for the victims of the latest round of violence.

The Holy Father urged both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to "support Israeli and Palestinian authorities in their intention to continue building, through negotiation, a peaceful and just future for their peoples." He exhorted all parties to "abandon the paths of hatred and revenge."

Turning to Iraq, the Pope mentioned his mounting concern about the welfare of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Raho, whose condition remained unknown 10 days after he was abducted after leaving the cathedral in Mosul. He expressed his concern, too, for the many people in Iraq "who continue to be subject to blind and meaningless violence which is certainly contrary to the wishes of God."

• Urgent Papal Appeal for Mideast Peace