Pope prays at Israel's West Bank separation barrier

The Pope rested his head against Israel's separation barrier as he prayed

Pope Francis has prayed at the concrete barrier Israel is building in and around the West Bank during his three-day tour of the Middle East.

The unscheduled stop came after he called for an end to the "increasingly unacceptable" Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Speaking in Bethlehem, the Pope invited the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to the Vatican to pray for peace.

The tour's official purpose is to improve ties with the Orthodox Church.

It comes just weeks after peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down.
Later, the Pope will travel to Tel Aviv and then Jerusalem where he will meet Bartholomew I, the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople.

Jeremy Bowen, BBC News, Bethlehem
 
This has turned into a much better than expected visit for the Palestinians, according to a PLO official I spoke to here in Bethlehem.

Palestinians have used social media to post pictures of Pope Francis praying at the 8m concrete wall that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem. The Israelis say the wall and other parts of the separation barrier are vital for the security of their people. But for Palestinians the wall is tangible symbol of what they say is Israel's intention to grab as much land as possible. 

The invitation to Rome for President Peres of Israel and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is an intriguing development, at a time when negotiations have collapsed. The Pope's spokesman said it was a papal peace initiative, based on the Pope's moral and spiritual authority. 

"The time has come to put an end to this situation which has become increasingly unacceptable," the Pope said on Sunday as he met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

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He talked of the "tragic consequences of the protracted conflict" and the need "to intensify efforts and initiatives" to create a stable peace - based on a two-state solution.

The Pope travelled directly to the West Bank rather than enter via Israel

 

He waved to the crowds as he travelled to Manger Square where went on to hold an open-air Mass

 

The Pope's arrival was eagerly awaited by local Christians

 

He later held an open-air Mass for 8,000 local Christians by Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity.
At the end, he said he wished to invite Mr Abbas, together with Israeli President Shimon Peres, to join him at the Vatican "in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace".

The Pope's spokesman, Federico Lombardi, told the BBC the move was papal peace initiative and believed to be the first of its kind.

Pope Francis has insisted the purpose of his Middle East trip is purely religious.
However, the first speech on his arrival in Bethlehem showed that he is also willing to address pressing political issues, says the BBC's Yolande Knell in Bethlehem.

On his way to Manger Square where he held the Mass, he stopped to pray at a high concrete wall that is part of the barrier Israel is building in and around the West Bank.

The Pope rested his head against the wall on which graffiti read: "Free Palestine."
Israel says the wall is needed for security but the Palestinians see it as a land grab.

Many Palestinians see it as a recognition of their push for full statehood.

Historic meeting
 
During the afternoon, Francis will take a short flight to Tel Aviv where he will be formally welcomed to Israel by President Shimon Peres before flying on to Jerusalem.

This Pope obviously has more political clout than any President or world leader now as he makes waves through Israel/Palestine. It's such a good thing he's doing. The two-state solution won't work as the land is too small to be divided even further and of course, the European invasion won't ever settle with Palestinians until Palestinians rule their own land and not Europeans bent on religious land stealing to satisfy Jewish myths of origin that never occurred.