"Neither the pope nor his advisers was expecting a miracle, yet even if nothing results on the Israeli-Palestinian front, there are three reasons why Sunday’s “invocation for peace” was much more than a photo-op."
Pope leads ‘invocation for peace’ for Mideast
It comes after the Palestinians formed a new unity government backed by Hamas, which is viewed by the Israelis as a terrorist organization. It also follows an announcement by the Israeli government that it had approved almost 1,500 new settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which was seen by the Palestinians as a provocation.
Related: Will Israel Assassinate Abbas?
Also see: Francis is Safe
