Pope Francis Gets Involved In Middle East Peace Process

June 5, 2014 — Voice of America News reports: “Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are expected to meet at the Vatican Sunday for what is being called an ‘intense prayer session’ with Pope Francis.

The unexpected invitation was extended during the pope’s recent visit to the Middle East, where Francis engaged in the kind of photo opportunities that popes usually avoid. He stopped at the barrier erected around the Palestinian territories and at an Israeli memorial for victims of terrorism.

On the plane home, Pope Francis told reporters he is not getting involved in the stalled peace process.

Nonetheless, said Daniel Petri at the Catholic University of America in Washington, the invitation is a bold move.

‘If something happens, it’s tremendous. Pope Francis is the miracle worker of the Middle East,’ he said…” (God’s Word states that the antichrist and false prophet come to power on a peace platform over the Middle East turmoil – Revelation 13:1, 7, 8, 11-16. The contract is one of seven years duration but broken by Russia after 42 months – Daniel 11:21, 24; Daniel 9:27; Ezekiel 38:1, 2, 11 – 16. The battle of Armageddon [Revelation 16:15 16] is described in Revelation 9:14 – 18. See the next two reports.)

Israeli, Palestinian presidents start Vatican prayer meeting

June 8, 2014 — Reuters reports: “The Israeli and Palestinian presidents began an unprecedented meeting with Pope Francis on Sunday to pray together in the hope that the gesture will relaunch the Middle East peace process.

Francis, who made the surprise invitation to Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas last month during his trip to the Holy Land, welcomed the two leaders in front of the modest guest house where he has decided to reside after renouncing the spacious papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace.

It was the first public meeting between the two presidents in more than a year and was taking place more than a month after United States-led peace talks collapsed amid bitter mutual recrimination.

The three, accompanied by Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual head of the Orthodox Christians, were then driven together in a white mini-van to what the Vatican has called a ‘neutral’ site in the Vatican gardens with no religious symbols.

They walked together, with the pope between Peres and Abbas, down a tree-lined lane to their seats on either side of the pope as a chamber orchestra played.

‘We have gathered here, Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, Christians and Muslims, so that each of us can express his or her desire for peace for the Holy Land and for all who dwell there,’ the master of ceremonies said as the service began.

She said the presidents wanted to voice ‘the desire of their respective peoples to invoke to God the common longing for peace’.
Religious representatives of the three religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – then began prayers for peace in Italian, Hebrew, Arabic and English…”

Islamist Leader Attacks Pope for Visiting ‘Muslim’ Western Wall

June 9, 2014 — Israel National News reports: “Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the radical Islamic Movement in Israel, wrote an open letter to Pope Francis last Thursday, criticizing him for his visit to the Western Wall (Kotel) two weeks ago, and further claiming that the site is Muslim.

In the letter, which was posted on the Arabic site Al-Sonara, Salah condemns the pope for placing a note in the Kotel.

‘The Israeli occupation utilized the visit of the pope in the most ugly fashion,’ wrote Salah, going on to list the pope’s actions he saw as being in Israel’s favor at the ‘Al-Buraq’ Wall, a name given by Muslims to the Kotel in the 1920s in an attempt to claim it. The name refers to Mohammed’s ‘winged steed’ he supposedly rode to Jerusalem in his ‘night journey.’

‘You put a note in the ‘Al-Buraq’ Kotel which the Israeli occupation calls in deception and lies the Wailing (Western) Wall…as a result you give them approval that this Kotel is the Western Wall and not the ‘Al-Buraq’ Wall, and you permit them sovereignty on it,’ charged Salah…”