On Sunday, Francis visited the West Bank separation barrier which many Palestinian decry as it limits their freedom of movement. Israel says the construction of a barrier was necessary to keep militants out of Israel after a spate of Palestinian suicide bombings targeted Israeli civilians during the 1990s.
The image of Pope Francis Sunday bowing his head in prayer and touching a segment of the barrier that is concrete was characterized as “a major PR coup” for the Palestinians, as was his referring to Palestine as a “state” and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a “man of peace.”
