It is good that the Pope has unequivocally repudiated anti-semitism in his visit to Israel. It is also good that he has endorsed the right of Palestinians to their own homeland.
I was asked to comment by Deal Hudson on a report in Ha'aretz on "Catholic tourism on minister's agenda"
Lily Galili and Irit Rosenblum wrote,
"Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov wants Pope Benedict XVI to call on Catholics to follow his lead and visit the Holy Land.
In his contacts with representatives of the Catholic Church in Israel and the Vatican, ahead of the pope's arrival in Israel tomorrow, Misezhnikov has urged them to have the pope call on Catholics to make a pilgrimage here.
"Israel ascribes great importance to the visit, and all of the preparations will be completed on time," Misezhnikov said. "The visit is important to creating closer relations with the Christian world and the Vatican. Our main mission is to use the visit to increase the number of Catholic tourists coming to Israel," Misezhnikov said.
Misezhnikov acknowledged that the pope's visit sends that message, but said he hoped Benedict XVI would explicitly call on Catholics around the world to follow his lead.
The minister's request is part of a larger Tourism Ministry plan to promote Catholic tourism in Israel. Misezhnikov will also be making a promotional tour to Catholic countries in Europe, including Poland, Spain, France and Italy.
"The time has come to stop patronizing them," the tourism minister told Haaretz. "I intend to approach mid-level officials and priests directly, and identify ways to reach the public I am trying to bring here."
I replied,
"I am not surprised that the Israeli Ministry of Tourism is trying to capitalise on the Pope’s visit. I hope and pray the Pope takes account of the hopes and aspirations of the indigenous Christians of the Holy Land above the commercial interests of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.
They long for an end to the siege of Bethlehem, the partition of Bethany and the annexation of East Jerusalem. They seek an end to the illegal Israeli military occupation of Palestine (with its land confiscations, house demolitions, checkpoints and apartheid separation barrier).
This is surely higher on their prayer list than the promotion of Israeli tourism.
As the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, I pray that the Pope calls upon Israel to respect the rights of Palestinian Christians to worship at their holy sites unhindered, attend their Church schools and universities of choice and have full access to hospitals and medical facilities.
There will be no peace for the Jewish people until there is justice for the Palestinians. Then there is hope for reconciliation. The Pope, under God is best placed to facilitate this.
But he will need courage and boldness to repudiate the inevitable criticism of anti-semitism for following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus, our Prince of Peace.
