Pope Applauds Lifting Of Blockade

Pope John Paul II welcomed Israel’s lifting of the closure of Bethlehem, saying Sunday he hoped it would lead to a return to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

Israel ended a monthlong blockade of Bethlehem on Wednesday, after sealing off the city in the reported belief that culprits in July 30 suicide bombings in Jerusalem were hiding there.

Speaking at his summer palace, the pope made an apparent reference to the lifting of the blockade, saying he strongly hoped developments marked “a first step toward a process of normalization.”

Travel restrictions imposed after the bombings still bar residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip from Jerusalem, a frequent restriction that Roman Catholic Church leaders have been unhappy about for years.

John Paul said “apprehension is very high because of the strong tension that remains and the enormous difficulties that the population of Bethlehem and of all the Palestinian territories are forced to face daily.”