The Vatican on Monday voiced support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and expressed concern over the status of Jerusalem as Pope Francis and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held their first meeting since the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem, officially recognizing the city as Israel's capital.
The U.S. move drew outrage among Palestinians, who envision parts of Jerusalem as the future capital of an independent Palestinian state.
At Monday's meeting, Abbas and Francis embraced and kissed on the cheek as the pontiff ushered the Palestinian leader to a library in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace for a private, 20-minute meeting.
"Particular attention was reserved for the status of Jerusalem, underlining the importance of recognizing and preserving its identity and the universal value of the holy city for the three Abrahamic religions," a Vatican statement said, referring to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
The statement also said Abbas and the pope discussed efforts to reactivate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and hoped for "a renewed commitment on the part of the international community to meet the legitimate aspirations of both peoples."
They also urged an end to "extremism and fundamentalism" in the Middle East, and called for reconciliation among Palestinian factions. Abbas' Fatah party is dominant in the West Bank, while the Islamist terrorist group Hamas controls Gaza, and the two rival factions have been at odds since Hamas violently routed Fatah from Gaza in 2007.
The Vatican expressed concern last year at Trump's decision to relocate the American Embassy to Jerusalem, saying the city's "status quo" should be respected. Francis has called for all to honor U.N. resolutions on the city.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Abbas briefed the pope on "the implications of the U.S. decision."
As Abbas was leaving the library, he told the pope: "We are counting on you." It was not clear what he was referring to.
