Cardinal Urges Israelis and Palestinians to Elect Leaders Who Can Promote Peace

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, said in an interview that Israelis and Palestinians should use upcoming elections to bring about a leadership change that can promote peace. Speaking in Assisi, where Pope Francis is due to arrive on Thursday, Pizzaballa visited a multimedia interfaith museum promoted by a rabbi. "We need new wine but also new wineskins, he said, using an evangelical metaphor.

"In the Middle East we must rebuild what has been destroyed in these years, he added, referring to settlers, antisemitism, and Gaza. We need to turn the page.