JERUSALEM — Israeli officials are hoping that the visit of Pope Benedict XVI will boost tourism, improve Israel’s image and bolster relations between the Jewish state and the Vatican.
Benedict was starting a five-day trip to the Holy Land today, visiting sites in Israel and the West Bank and celebrating Mass in Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem.
He becomes the second pope to make an official visit to Israel, following John Paul II, who made a trip to the Holy Land for the 2000 millennium year.
Israeli tourism officials said Sunday that 15,000 Christian pilgrims are expected to join the pope, in addition to the 35,000 who come to the Holy Land every week.
Tourism officials said they hope the papal visit will attract an additional 200,000 Christian pilgrims to visit the country during the rest of the year. Officials already are expecting about 2.6 million tourists this year.
"I call on every person of faith in the world to visit Jerusalem at least once in their life,” Jerusalem’s Israeli mayor, Nir Barkat, said Sunday.
Second impression?
Israeli Tourism Minister Yuli Edelstein hoped the images of the pope at prayer would push aside some of the impressions of Israel as a focus of war and violence.
"I’m not naive enough to think that it will fill all the screens and that everyone will forget about the conflict,” Edelstein said, hoping the visit would create better understanding abroad "of Israeli democracy, of religious freedom, that of the existing and vital Christian minority in this country,” which "is enjoying all the rights.”
by the associated press
Benedict was starting a five-day trip to the Holy Land today, visiting sites in Israel and the West Bank and celebrating Mass in Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem.
He becomes the second pope to make an official visit to Israel, following John Paul II, who made a trip to the Holy Land for the 2000 millennium year.
Israeli tourism officials said Sunday that 15,000 Christian pilgrims are expected to join the pope, in addition to the 35,000 who come to the Holy Land every week.
Tourism officials said they hope the papal visit will attract an additional 200,000 Christian pilgrims to visit the country during the rest of the year. Officials already are expecting about 2.6 million tourists this year.
"I call on every person of faith in the world to visit Jerusalem at least once in their life,” Jerusalem’s Israeli mayor, Nir Barkat, said Sunday.
Second impression?
Israeli Tourism Minister Yuli Edelstein hoped the images of the pope at prayer would push aside some of the impressions of Israel as a focus of war and violence.
"I’m not naive enough to think that it will fill all the screens and that everyone will forget about the conflict,” Edelstein said, hoping the visit would create better understanding abroad "of Israeli democracy, of religious freedom, that of the existing and vital Christian minority in this country,” which "is enjoying all the rights.”
by the associated press
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