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Pope Francis

JERUSALEM. — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for Rome yesterday for a two-day official visit during which he will meet Pope Francis for the first time.
The Israeli leader is accompanied by six of his ministers, including his newly reappointed Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, public radio said.

During the visit, Netanyahu would also meet with his Italian counterpart Enrico Letta, and hold a joint session with the Italian cabinet, it said.

Today, he will be granted his first audience with Pope Francis. Six weeks ago, Netanyahu’s office had said he would meet the pope during a visit to Rome in late October, but the meeting never happened, with a diplomatic source telling AFP it would not happen because it had not been co-ordinated in advance with the Vatican. When the two meet today, they are likely to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue and the ongoing peace talks with the Palestinians.

And they are also likely to discuss the pope’s planned visit to the Holy Land early next year. Pope Francis has already been invited to visit the Christian holy sites by Israeli President Shimon Peres in April, and by Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, who met him on October 17. — AFP.