Oznia, a blog of Israel things

My aunt, who lives in Jerusalem, sent me an e-mail, in which she mentioned that the Pope will becoming.  Her first thought was that it will be a huge inconvenience because random streets will be blocked, and there might be times when it is easier just to get out of the car and walk to where ever she is going.

An opinion article in Yediot Achronot, stated that the author would not like the pope to come.  Mainly based on the hazy anti-Semitic past of this Pope.  Pope Benedict XVI was a memeber of the Hitler Youth during WWII, but denies that he is actually anti-Semitic, saying instead that he did it because he was young and that everyone was doing it.  I can understand why someone would say that they don’t want the Pope in Israel.  To me it is fairly clear that the visit is religiously motivated, rather than politically

Instead of griping, Israel should take advantage of this opportunity.  If the Pope enjoyshimself, then it could boost tourism in Israel.  A positive experience could also make for better diplomatic relations with the UN and the EU (Italy, Poland, and Spain are all more than 94% Roman Catholic, by population)  Lets take advantage of this opportunity to make Israel a better and more respected country.