Monday May 11, 2009 17:24 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

On Monday morning Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Israel for the second stage of his pilgrimage to the Middle East holy sites. He arrived from Jordan which he visited on Sunday.

Israeli officials, headed by the Israeli occupation government president, Shimon Peres, welcomed the Pope at Tel Aviv airport. During his speech Pope Benedict XVI urged people to fight anti-Semitism.

"Sadly, anti-Semitism continues to rear its ugly head in many parts of the world. This is totally unacceptable," he said. "Every effort must be made to combat anti-Semitism wherever it is found, and to promote respect and esteem for the members of every people, tribe, language and nation across the globe."

Pope Benedict XVI has faced criticism from Israel and Jewish communities around the world, for his recent reinstatement of a bishop who denied the Nazis killed six million people during the Holocaust.

Regarding the political situation in the region, the Pope said "I plead with all those responsible to explore every possible avenue in the search for a just resolution of the outstanding difficulties, so that both peoples may live in peace in a homeland of their own, within secure and internationally recognized borders,"

In Jerusalem, where the Pope is expected to visit on Tuesday, the Israeli police closed down a Press office that was set up by Palestinians in the city to provide Press services for local and international Media.

The police came to the Ambassador Hotel in East Jerusalem where the center was located and closed it down, organizers reported.

Ahmed Al-Ruwaidi, the head of the center, told reporters that the center was set up to distribute information and nothing more. He added that the center was just set up for the Pope's visit and was not going to be a permanent press office.

The Pope will tour Jerusalem on Tuesday, and visit Jewish, Christian and Islamic holy places in the city. On Wednesday, he will visit the West Bank city of Bethlehem where he will be welcomed by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Barhoum: Pope's visit beautifies occupation

[ 11/05/2009 - 04:39 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Hamas said that the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Israel especially following the Israeli massacre of Gaza children, women and elderly people using mass destruction weapons was beautifying the image of the Israeli occupation.

Fawzi Barhoum, the Hamas spokesman, on Monday expressed surprise in a press statement at the Pope's attempt to market the two-state solution, which entailed the establishment of a racist, Jewish state.

The Israeli occupation government's systematic confiscation of Palestinian lands in Jerusalem and the West Bank in addition to judaizing the holy city and targeting Christian and Islamic landmarks reveal the serious Zionist schemes, which the Pope ignored, the spokesman elaborated.

He also said that the Pope's sympathy with the family of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was out of context, adding that it ignored the suffering of almost 12,000 Palestinian prisoners in IOA jails, who are subjected to oppression, torture and deprivation.

For its part, Islamic Jihad Movement said in a similar statement that the Pope's visit gave a blind eye to the Israeli holocaust in Gaza.

Apparently the Pope did not see the IOA attempts to steal sacred Christian shrines and did not hear the IOA bulldozers while flattening Christian and Muslim Jerusalemite homes, the Islamic Jihad elaborated.

The Israeli military attack Palestinian homes in Hebron and kidnaps a number of people

Monday May 11, 2009 16:32 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Three Palestinian civilians were kidnapped by Israeli occupation forces during attacks on homes on Monday morning in the city of Hebron southern West Bank.

Local sources said that soldiers searched and ransacked homes in a number of location in the city and a nearby village then kidnapped the three men and took them to a nearby military detention camp.

The Israeli military kidnaps three civilians from villages in northern west Bank

Monday May 11, 2009 15:40 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Three Palestinian civilians were kidnapped during Israeli occupation forces invasions targeting a number of villages near the northern west Bank city of Jenin on Monday.

Palestinian sources said that troops searched and ransacked number of homes in the villages of Silyat Al Harthia and Zababdah village near Jenin.

The sources identified the three civilians as Ahmad Sharqawi, 19, Abed al Men'im Rahal, 28, and Mohamed Atiyah, 27.