Pope Leo XIV's comments on Palestine

“We all know that at this time Israel still does not accept that solution, but we see it as the only solution.”

—Pope Leo XIV

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The conflict will end only if Palestine becomes an 'independent state', the Pope said. Pope Leo made this comment in a brief eight-minute press conference on Sunday, November 30, 2025, on his way from Turkey to Lebanon.

After being nominated as the successor of the late Pope Francis in May, he stood in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and appealed to the world to stop the Gaza conflict. This time, his 'solution' was given by Pope Leo XIV, the highest religious leader of the Athenian Christians. Pope Leo told reporters on his way from Turkey to Lebanon on Sunday,

“There is only one solution to the bloody conflict between Israel and Palestine that has been going on for decades - the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”

Three weeks ago, Pope Leo met with Pope at the Vatican. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Several media outlets claimed that Pope Francis not only promised relief but also emphasized the establishment of a two-state solution to restore lasting peace in West Asia. This time, however, the Pope's message was more direct. He told reporters, "We all know that Israel has not yet accepted the demand for an independent Palestinian state. We are not sure whether it will. But we believe it is the only solution. We are also friends of Israel. We are trying to mediate between the two conflicting parties. We are trying to do something that helps both sides come closer to a just solution."

President Abbas, who is recognized by several countries as the Palestinian "state," has his headquarters in Ramallah, the capital of the West Bank. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which is controlled by Fatah, the organization founded by the late Yasser Arafat, the legendary leader of the Palestinian independence movement, currently controls a large part of the West Bank. The Palestinians' demand for an independent state also has a large portion of international support.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has always rejected the idea of an independent Palestine. Recently, Israel's biggest 'friend', the United States, has implicitly supported Donald Trump's demand for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Netanyahu is still adamant in his own position. Now let's see how much extra oxygen the Pope's solution gives to Palestine!

On his way from Turkey to Lebanon, Pope Leo held a brief press conference of eight minutes on Sunday (30/11/2025). In this press conference, he said that he had also spoken to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The Pope commented that Turkey can play an important role in stopping the two wars. In his words, “The unusually increasing bloody conflicts in various parts of the world have put the future of humanity at risk. We must find a way out of this.”

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