Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to Israel is a historic positive step forward for Vatican-Israel relations and the Catholic-Jewish dialogue.

This important trip reaffirms Pope Benedict’s commitment to continue to strengthen relations between the Vatican and the State of Israel, begun under his predecessor Pope John Paul II.  In recent months, Pope Benedict XVI has reconfirmed the Catholic Church’s unqualified repudiation of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.

He has taught that Christians should gain a new respect for the Jewish interpretation of the Torah. He has also asserted that God’s covenant and promises to the Jewish people are alive and irrevocable, further demonstrating his belief that Jews are “beloved brothers and sisters.”