It is funny that during the visit designed to promote unity, Sheikh Tayssir brought in words of hate and aggression. Hopefully the Pope will better understand the situation and how much hate there is within the Muslim community against Israel and Jews in general.

The Pope’s visit to Jordan and Israel was mainly intended to be a pilgrimage of peace, hope and solidarity. But how can a Christian’s pilgrimage be complete without visiting Lebanon? Didn’t Jesus perform his first miracle in Cana Lebanon where he turned water into wine? Why Lebanon is not part of the Pope’s agenda?

"The murderous Israelis" allow more individual freedom to Palestinians than any Arab country. If the Palestinians had chosen the path of negotiations rather than terrorism, they would have had their state long ago.

Jerusalem is better off as a united city under Israel's jurisdiction than a divided capital where Jews would once again be prevented from visiting their holy sites.

As long as Palestinians don't abandon radical Islam there won't be peace in the region.

In 1947 the Palestinians refused a UN proposal for two states solution because they refused to have a non Muslim country in the region, so they started a war in which they lost.

Why is CNN repeatedly stirring up devision and what separates? From Paula Hancocks to Ben Wederman all you do is whine about what little snafus occur during Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Holy Land. I as a viewer find this utterly unhelpful. The yammering goes on: did a speech three years ago or more stir up hard feelings, did he take off his shoes, did he mention I am sorry, I am sorry 16 billion times. For goodness sake, give the guy some credit. He is reaching out his hand for peace– open up your eyes and your heart– and TAKE IT!

And for the record, I have been watching many other reporting, 1. he did apologize for any hurt there may have been in misunderstanding his academic quote.2. he was asked in the first mosque not to take off his shoes. 3. he has apologized about a billion times for what the world forgets the Vatican is a religous body, not a 24 news hour spin cycle. The are concerned with other things, and certain things go wrong . He apologzied

I am still waiting to hear the Jewish rabbis apologize for the scandal of the Gaza offensive the outright slaughter of Palenstians who were trapped and when are the Jewish rabbis going to apologize for the use of white phosphorus bombs–are we still reporting on that–a little more important than acquiring a 16th billion plus one apology!

Or when are the moslem leaders going to apologize for innocent life wiped on in horrendous suicide bombings.

So when a little humble man streches out to the world a simple hand of peace, for gosh sakes give the man a little credit and perhaps imitate him in your reporting, Paula and Ben!
La

ANY visit by ANY important official to the Middle East will ALWAYS get negative press. If the official gives positive vibes in one direction, those with opposite views will be vehemently against that official and what was said. The Middle East is almost pure extremism. Even when a visiting official clearly holds and espouses a certain view, there will be petty people who will claim that official's language was not "strong" enough. Whenever a Middle Eastern leader speaks with a moderate voice they are either assassinated or eventually voted out of office. However, it is still important always for a visiting official like the Pope to at least TRY to find common ground. This Pope certainly does try.

Just FYI: perhaps a further in-depth report could add the facts: Golda Meir 1st president of Israel acknowledged the Pope Pius XII work for saving the jews. Why are these fact never never mentioned? Also between 1933 and 1939, Pacelli issued 55 protests of violations of the Reichskonkordat. Most notably, early in 1937, Pacelli asked several German cardinals, including Michael Cardinal von Faulhaber to help him write a protest of Nazi violations of the Reichskonkordat; this was to become Pius XI's encyclical Mit Brennender Sorge. The encyclical, condemning the view that "exalts race, or the people, or the State, or a particular form of State ... above their standard value and divinizes them to an idolatrous level", was written in German instead of Latin and read in German churches on Palm Sunday 1937.[56] On June 10, 1941 he commented on the problems of the Reichskonkordat in a letter to the Bishop of Passau, in Bavaria: "The history of the Reichskonkordat shows, that the other side lacked the most basic prerequisites to accept minimal freedoms and rights of the Church, without which the Church simply cannot live and operate, formal agreements notwithstanding".[57]

will the pope suppurt jews that want to biuld a man made island in the ocean over by haweii ........a new isreal ............there is a web site "man made island for world peace".......

pray for peace... its the only hope for the middle east...

Yes, thumbs up for the Pope. I guess he is powerful enough not to have to worry about reprisal from the Jewish lobby or the anti-defemation league. They wont be able to push him out of his job like they do with other people, including Jews who in any form criticise Israel. check out the website of Jewish Voice for Peace, http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org to see what rational Jews are doing to stop Israeli and right-wing crimes .

Cristianaity and Islam the 2 religions claiming worldwide domination- will hpefuly review their doctrins and accept and teach :
peoples right to different belives
do not impose your religion on others
work for poeple benefits on the current live and not the next one
This approach will have a major positve impact on worldwide peace
I hardly belive in such major changes
And their stand toward Jew- with the
non converting narative :
Stop the christianity and Islam history long hate doctrine toward jews
I hardly belive in such a major change

The Pope's speech at Ben-Gurion airport could be interpretted in two ways, for Israel to recognize the establishment of a Palestinian state, but also, for the Palestinians and the Arab/Moslem world to recognize the right for the Jewish State of Israel to exist in the region.

As always, the media always looks for the anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian angle while , if the Arab world had accepted a Palestinian state alongside a Jewish state in 1947,we wouldn't be where we are today.

al-Tamimi's comments were an obvious insult to the Pope, but the entire incident seems to have been brushed aside in fear of Moslem backlash as is so often the case.

Benedict XVI can never accomplish what Western political leaders had unsuccesfully tried in the past. The Palestinian issue is just too complicated for any man to settle. Benedict went to Israel and the West Bank simply to tour and see places.

Pope Benedict XVI – Truly a man among men !