Pope dismisses Trump’s ‘deal of the century’

“Nor can we overlook the still unresolved conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, with the danger of inequitable solutions and, hence, a prelude to new crises,” said Pope Francis.

By World Israel News Staff

Pope Francis seemingly dismissed President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” by calling it an “inequitable solution,” reports Reuters.

According to the report, Francis was referring to Trump’s peace plan when he spoke about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during a Sunday meeting in Italy with bishops representing all countries in the Mediterranean basin.

“The Mediterranean region is currently threatened by outbreaks of instability and conflict, both in the Middle East and different countries of North Africa, as well as between various ethnic, religious or confessional groups,” Francis said.

“Nor can we overlook the still unresolved conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, with the danger of inequitable solutions and, hence, a prelude to new crises,” he said.

This is not the first time Pope Francis expressed his disapproval over U.S. Mideast foreign policy.

Following a meeting at the Vatican between Francis and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2018, a statement on behalf of the pontiff said the Vatican backs a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the status of Jerusalem to be decided as part of the peace process.

After Trump’s decision in 2017 to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the pope  said the city’s “status quo” should be preserved, and the American decision could “[add] new elements of tension to a global panorama” that is already marred “by so many and cruel conflicts.”