At the Wall Street Journal , Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein considers Benedict’s trip to Israel a Success:
Pope Benedict XVI does not yet enjoy the goodwill his predecessor generated. Aspects of his past and statements he has made are arguably controversial and have generated criticism—some valid—from Jews.But this week, he arrived in Israel for the first papal visit in nine years. I was part of a delegation that greeted him in a special ceremony at the airport. Sadly, a number of Israeli political and religious leaders refused to participate.
Had they attended, they would have heard the head of the church speak of the terrible suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust, their biblical rights to the land of Israel, and the deep bonds between the Christian and Jewish faiths. Had they joined him on his journey, they would have heard him lash out against Holocaust denial, condemn anti-Semitism — past and present — and seen him pray at the Western Wall.
They would have witnessed him meeting with rabbis, political leaders and even the parents of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is still being held hostage in Gaza. These are just a few of the acts of solidarity and gestures of reconciliation the critics would have witnessed during the pope’s pilgrimage . . . . .
As someone who has dedicated the past 35 years to fostering respect between Jews and Christians, I was deeply encouraged by the pope’s visit and believe that it has contributed significantly toward supplanting the dark and violent history between Jews and the church.
