15:59, 14 May 2009 | GMT +5
Pope visit raises hope
BETHLEHEM, West Bank. May 14. KAZINFORM. Pope Benedict XVI reiterated his call yesterday for a sovereign Palestinian state and lamented Israel?s wall that towered over his first trip to the West Bank; Kazinform refers to Arab News.

The pontiff also told thousands of people at an open-air gathering in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem that he prayed for a lifting of the embargo Israel has imposed on the Gaza Strip.
?The Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors, within internationally recognized borders,? he said. He appealed to young people living in the Palestinian territories not to ?allow the loss of life and the destruction that you have witnessed to arouse bitterness or resentment in your hearts. ?Have the courage to resist any temptation you may feel to resort to acts of violence or terrorism. Instead, let what you have experienced renew your determination to build peace,? he said.
The pope reached out to residents of the Aida refugee camp who live in the shadow of the eight-meter-high wall that surrounds part of Bethlehem, forming part of the controversial West Bank barrier Israel says is essential to its security but which Palestinians see as a symbol of an ?apartheid? regime. ?Towering over us ... is a stark reminder of the stalemate that relations between Israelis and Palestinians seem to have reached ? the wall,? Benedict said, speaking from the courtyard of a school just a stone?s throw from the steel and concrete barrier.
The 82-year-old pontiff said he was praying for an imminent lifting of the crippling blockade that Israel imposed on Gaza; Kazinform cites Arab News. See www.arabnews.com for full version.