Pope Leo Backs a Palestinian State During Mideast Trip: &...

By Mandy Taheri

Politics and Culture Reporter

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Pope Leo XIV, en route to Lebanon from his visit in Turkey, told reporters aboard the papal plane that the Vatican views a Palestinian state as the “only solution.”

Why It Matters

The comments are in line with The Holy See’s stance, having formally recognized the State of Palestine in June 2015. The pope has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and Pope Francis, before his death, also urged an end to the fighting, describing Gaza as facing a “grave humanitarian crisis.” The popemobile used by Francis has been transformed into a mobile medical clinic for children in Gaza.

The pope is the spiritual leader of the world’s roughly 1.4 billion Catholics. Many world leaders back a two-state solution, which would create an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, a proposal the current Israeli government has repeatedly rejected.

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What To Know

In remarks to reporters aboard the papal plane on Sunday, the pope thanked Turkish officials for their hospitality and support, calling his trip to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea was a “great success.”

He described his visits to Turkey and now Lebanon as having a “special theme of, if you will, being a messenger of peace, of wanting to promote peace throughout the region.” He was in Turkey from Thursday to Sunday and praised the country of being a good example of a nation with religious coexistence.

The pope told a reporter who asked about conversations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about Gaza and Ukraine, that “we spoke about both situations.” He continued that he spoke with Erdoğan specifically about a two-state solution that would establish an independent Palestinian state, adding, “He is certainly in agreement with this proposal. Turkey has an important role that it could play in all of this.”

The leader continued: “The Holy See for several years has publicly supported the proposal of a two-state solution. We all know that in this moment Israel still does not accept this solution, but we see it as the only solution that could offer—let us say—a solution to the conflict that they continuously live.”

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He noted that "we [the church] are also friends of Israel, and we try with the two sides to be a mediating voice that can help draw closer to a solution with justice for all."

The pope's comments come as Israel and Hamas remain in a fragile ceasefire that has seen several violations, and Israel recently struck Beirut amid a separate truce agreement, amid other reported breaches. Earlier this month, the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council approved a U.S.-drafted resolution that supports President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan and would authorize an International Stabilization Force in the territory. It also includes language backing Palestinian self-determination and the potential establishment of a Palestinian state, pending certain conditions.

The U.S. is one of less than a dozen states that voted against a non-binding resolution for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in September at the U.N. General Assembly. The resolution, sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, received overwhelming international support.

What People Are Saying

Bishop George, archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut, said on Sunday that the pope's visit: "shows that Lebanon is not forgotten."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a January 2024 statement: "I will not compromise on full Israeli security control of all territory west of the Jordan River. As Prime Minister of Israel, I have strongly upheld this position in the face of great international and domestic pressure. My insistence is what has prevented – over the years – the establishment of a Palestinian state that would have constituted an existential danger to Israel. As long as I am Prime Minister, I will continue to strongly insist on this. "

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an October conversation with NBC News' Meet the Press host Kristen Welker that a two-state solution is "not a yes-or-no question. That’s a process...Ultimately, at the end of the day we’ve always said, this has been the consistent position of this administration, of myself and of a lot of people that have watched this for a very long time."

He continued: "In order for that aspiration to even be credible, it has to be realistic. We can’t have a Palestinian state that’s governed by Hamas or by some terrorist organization whose stated purpose for existence is the destruction of the Jewish state. That would never work. Until Gaza is governed by people that are not interested in destroying Israel, until there are no security threats emanating against Israel from Gaza, forget about statehood; you’re not going to have peace. We have to create the conditions for that. That’s going to take a while and that’s going to be part of what these negotiations are about in the days to come."

What Happens Next?

The pope is scheduled to stay in Lebanon for several days, expecting to meet with some political and religious leaders and then head back to Italy on Tuesday.

The first phase of the Trump-backed 20 point peace plan between Israel and Gaza is nearing its end, with mediators having met earlier this week to discuss the second phase concerned with Hamas' disarmament, establishing an armed International Stabilization Force, and developing an international body to govern Gaza.

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