Mahmoud Abbas Thanks Pope Francis
Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, thanked Pope Francis for his support of peace.
On Thursday, December 12, Pope Francis, leader of Catholics worldwide, met in person with Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, at the Vatican after three years. They held private talks for half an hour, but the Vatican did not provide details about their private discussions.
The meeting between Pope Francis and Mahmoud Abbas took place as the Pope had recently made numerous criticisms regarding Israel’s military operations in Gaza. In a statement, Mahmoud Abbas thanked Pope Francis for his support in achieving a just peace in Palestinian territories based on a two-state solution.
While Pope Francis, leader of Catholics worldwide, continues to avoid taking sides in disputes, he has recently spoken very clearly about the Gaza war. He consistently expresses concern about the issue of peace in Palestine and the situation of the people of Gaza. The Pope has also repeatedly emphasized in his speeches the need for dialogue, peaceful coexistence, and respect for human rights.
Pope Francis, while pointing to the necessity of ending violence, stressed the importance of efforts to achieve just and sustainable solutions in the region. Furthermore, last month he suggested to the international community that it examine whether Israel’s campaign in Gaza constitutes genocide, a statement that was met with criticism from Israel’s ambassador to the Vatican.
It should be noted that Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, will be in Rome this week for a brief visit and is scheduled to meet with the president and prime minister of Italy.
