I appreciate the opportunity that has been offered to me to come on pilgrimage to a land that is hallowed by the footsteps of patriarchs and prophets.

My pilgrimage to the holy places is one of prayer for the precious gift of unity and peace for the Middle East and for all humanity.

The stones of the Western Wall bear witness to the glorious past of the Jewish people, instilling in it the strength to withstand hardships and persecution.

PM Netanyahu asked the Pontiff to take action and make his voice heard, in a clear and unequivocal fashion, against anti-Semitism in the world.

Together we must all establish an international body, a kind of United Nations for religions, that will stand alongside the UN for diplomats and statesmen.