Great Majority of Israelis Support Papal Pilgrimage
ROME, MAR 13 (ZENIT.org).- Last Friday when Haim Ramon, Israel's Minister in charge of coordinating the papal visit, was in the Vatican, he told John Paul II that the country is very exciting in preparation for his visit from March 20-26.
Following his meetings in the Vatican, Ramon described in numbers the extraordinary effort being made by the Israeli government in relation with the papal visit. In terms of security alone, there will be 5,000 police in Jerusalem, and 100,000 in Galilee. $7 million were spent on infrastructure to enable pilgrims to participate properly in all papal events. The Israeli authorities expect some 50,000 people to arrive from 70 different countries.
But Minister Ramon was very clear that behind all the preparations, the most important motive is spiritual and religious. The government hopes to avoid all political manipulation. "We are not expecting a political success," the Israeli Minister said. But there is hope that the visit will produce fruits of reconciliation for the Middle East. "We hope the visit will not cause political conflicts, but rather understanding between us and the Palestinians. The visit will contribute to a greater commitment to the search for peace."
A Gallup poll carried out a few days ago reflected that close to 60% of the inhabitants of Israel regard John Paul II's visit as "very positive." The poll also revealed that out of a sample of 500 people, only 63% of those living in Israel knew that the Vatican officially recognized Israel several years ago, and established stable and permanent diplomatic relations. About 44% of those interviewed said they were aware of the Church's official opposition to anti-Semitism.
The opinion poll reflected that 47% of those consulted believe the Holy Father's visit is to go on pilgrimage to holy places. About 23% of Israelis believe it is to influence the peace process in the Middle East, and 5% believe the Pontiff is going to their country "to convert the Jews to Christianity."
Virtually 50% of the Israelis interviewed said they are interested in dialoguing with Christians "to reach better understanding among people of different religions."
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