Pope Francis Calls on Israelis, Palestinians To Talk, Build Trust

Pope Francis expressed concern about the escalating violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories during his Sunday blessing in St. Peter’s Square. He called on Israeli and Palestinian authorities to “more readily take to heart” the search for dialogue and building mutual trust, “essential if there is to be peace in the Holy Land.”

He referred to the coordinated bombing attacks on two bus stops in Jerusalem that left a high school student and an Ethiopian immigrant to Israel dead.

The pope told the tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square that “violence kills the future, shattering the lives of the young and weakening hopes for peace.” He called on everyone to pray “for these young men who died and for their families, especially their mothers.”