"We all know that at this time Israel still does not accept that solution, but we see it as the only solution," Leo, the first US pope, told journalists on a flight from Turkey to Lebanon during his first in-flight press conference.
Pope Leo said Sunday that resolving the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians must involve the creation of a Palestinian state, reaffirming the Vatican’s long-standing stance, News.Az reports. citing the Jerusalem Post.
"We are also friends with Israel, and we are seeking to be a mediating voice between the two parties that might help them close in on a solution with justice for everyone," added the pope, speaking in Italian.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed opposition to a Palestinian state after even its biggest ally the US indicated support for Palestinian independence.
Leo spoke in a brief eight-minute press conference focused on his visit to Turkey, which he visited from Thursday to Sunday on his first overseas trip since his election in May as leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.
During his visit to Turkey, the pope warned that humanity's future was at risk because of the world's unusual number of bloody conflicts and condemned violence in the name of religion.
