Everyone following Pope Francis through his travel in the Holy Land was shocked when he ordered his vehicle to stop so he could pray at the wall which separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem.

“He got down from the Popemobile and walked up to the wall,” said the Rev Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman. “He remained there for some minutes, praying silently. He then touched the wall with his forehead.”

The Pope reportedly chose a place at the wall directly below a  watchtower manned by Israeli soldiers.

The move delighted Palestinians who had previously been celebrating the Pope’s references to the “state of Palestine.”  The flight of the Pope from Amman, Jordan to Bethlehem was hailed by Palestinians as another recognition from the Pope that there should be a Palestinian homeland.

An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said that the Vatican recognized Palestine as a state a long time ago, so the language used by the Pope is nothing new.  They restated their position that they disagree with the Vatican’s position and will continue to express their opposition to supporting people who seek the destruction of Israel.