Israeli Envoy’s Rare Audience with Pope Described As ‘positive’

Israel’s ambassador to Italy, Michael Drory, had a rare audience with Pope John Paul II last week.

An Israeli Embassy official who accompanied him to the audience Thursday told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that although they discussed nothing specific, the event was significant in itself.

The Vatican has no diplomatic relations with Israel and refuses to recognize the Jewish state.

According to Meron Gordon, the embassy official in charge of contacts with the Vatican, it was Drory’s second audience with the pope since early 1987, when the envoy first arrived in Rome.

Gordon described the atmosphere as “positive” and termed the papal audience with an ambassador of Israel “unusual,” if not entirely without precedent.

It lasted about a half-hour. “The pope made general remarks about his desire for peace in the (Middle East) area and equal rights for all people,” Gordon told JTA.

He said the ambassador “explained in detail the Israeli view of the situation and the new and comprehensive peace plan now being prepared in Israel.”

Stressing that the meeting was simply “a general exchange of views,” Gordon said the embassy would not have asked for the audience if it had not “had good indications” it would be granted.

He explained that “the pope does not invite anyone. He only consents to requests” for an audience.

One of the obstacles to Vatican recognition of Israel is its insistence that Jerusalem should be an international holy city.

The Rome daily II Messaggero quoted Drory on Friday as saying that “the pope is convinced, as are many in Europe, that the Palestine Liberation Organization represents the Palestinian people and thus must be our interlocutor.”

The current Israeli government has formally rejected any talks with the PLO.