Not everybody in Israel happy with the forthcoming visit by the Pope
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 1/21/2000

Preparations have started to receive Pope John Paul II in his visit to the Palestinian controlled areas and Israel. Both sides have released the schedule of the visit, originally prepared by the Vatican, designing the rules for coverage and transport on those days.

For the Palestinians, this will be the most important visit President Yasser Arafat will have in the areas under his control in the West Bank. Arafat has already named a special body that would handle all issues related to the pontifical visit. Heading this committee is Dr. Emile Jarjoui, a pediatric who in 1994 became member of Palestine Legislative Council and later became a member of the PLO Executive Committee. He was named head of the "Mass Media Office in Charge of the Visit of His Holiness Pope Paul II" to Palestine.

The pope will arrive in the region on March 20 with Jordan being the first leg in his Middle East trip. He then is expected to arrive in Lod Airport inside Israel from which he will be driven to Jerusalem to spend his night at the East Jerusalem residence of the pontifical chief delegate while the rest of the entourage will head to the Notre Dame Hotel, a compound across the street from the New Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem that is owned and run by the Catholic Church.

On the following morning, the pope arrives in Bethlehem where President Arafat will accord him a state reception, to be followed by a special mass outside Manger Square and then by a tour in the Palestinian refugee camp of Dheisheh on the outskirts of Bethlehem. This will be the first time that a pope has ever visited a Palestinian refugee camp, and Palestinians believe the mere visit would help boost the question of Palestinian refugees and back up their demand for return in the event of a permanent settlement is reached with Israel.

The pope's schedule made it clear that the Holy See will commute between East Jerusalem and all other locations he will be visiting, including Nazareth and Tiberias, by helicopter in order to avoid traffic and tiring car trips.

As well as visiting Christian sites in Jerusalem, the pope will visit Nazareth and the Galilee and will hold a lakeside mass to be attended by thousands of believers. His trip the Church of the Annunciation is one of the highlights of his visit. The other highlight of his visit tour will be his visit to the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem as well as to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The pope will also go to Kursi, Kfar Nahum, Tabha and other sites holy to Christians. At each location he will hold prayers and deliver a sermon.

The pope will will be accompanied by large numbers of security personnel and Vatican representatives who insisted on being closely informed about every single detail of the security plan the Palestinians and the Israelis have prepared for the pope.

Ultra-religious Jewish groups have already come out with voices against the pope's visit claiming that it would force numbers of Israeli Jewish bodyguards and security personnel to disrupt the Sabbath of 25 March, when the pope is due to visit Nazareth. "It will be an act of mass Sabbath desecration the likes of which were never seen in Israel," fundamental religious Jews were quoted as saying over the weekend.

Joining the pope in his visit will be 50,000 Catholic youth, who will accompany him on his travels. The Vatican has reportedly organized the mass trip in an effort to strengthen the youths in their faith. Hostels and hotels in the north part of the country in areas surrounding Nazareth and Tiberias have already begun taking reservations by the young pilgrims. But not everyone is satisfied. Some Jewish religious circles, such as the Yad Leahim organization, expressed fears that the trip will lead to an increase in Christian missionary activity.

Previous Stories:
  Pope to visit Jordan, Israel, Palestinian areas in March   (1/13/2000)
  Palestinian government welcomes Pope visit   (12/27/1999)
  Pope John Paul visits the Middle East in March   (11/19/1999)

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