Israelis, Palestinians must 'write new page of history': pope

Pope Francis hoped for peace between Israelis and Palestinians as he gave his Christmas address


Afp December 25, 2016
Pope Francis gestures as he speaks to journalists on his flight back to Rome following a visit in Georgia and Azerbaijan, October 2, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Sunday hoped for peace between Israelis and Palestinians as he gave his Christmas address, urging the two sides to "write a new page of history".

"Peace to women and men of the beloved Holy Land, the land chosen and favoured by God," the pontiff told crowds at the Vatican in his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" (To the City and The World) message.

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"May Israelis and Palestinians have the courage and the determination to write a new page of history, where hate and revenge give way to the will to build together a future of mutual understanding and harmony."

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