The Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil Elaraby welcomed "the Vatican recognition of the Palestinian state", national entity whose words will be explicitly mentioned in the global Agreement between the Holy See and Palestine in the process of being signed in the near future.
Elaraby expressed conviction that the step announced will help to promote the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, beginning with the right to have an independent state "with East Jerusalem as its capital". This is the content of a statement issued yesterday by the international organization based in Cairo, sent to Agenzia Fides. Elaraby has also expressed the hope that other States and governments will soon follow the example of the Vatican, in turn recognizing the State of Palestine.
In fact, as also the official media of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem recalled, it is since November 2012, following the vote in favor of Palestine to be "a non-member observer State status at the United Nations", the Vatican uses the phrase "State of Palestine" in all its official documents, or in several communications on the Country, such as in the official program of the Pope Francis’ visit in Holy Land in May 2014. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has traveled twice to the Vatican after the UN vote, and each time he was received and officially called "President of the State of Palestine". It is also with this same title that he was warmly received by Pope Francis on Saturday, May 16, before attending the canonization of the two Palestinian saints, Mariam Baouardy and Marie-Alphonsine Ghattas, celebrated in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, May 17.
Source: Fides News
