Netanyahu tells pope security fence prevents terror

Netanyahu releases a statement thanking the pope for visiting the terror victims’ memorial at Mount Herzl.

“I explained to the pope that the security fence prevented many more victims that Palestinian terror, which continues today, planned to harm,” Netanyahu says, referring to Sunday’s papal pause at the security barrier at Bethlehem.

The statement essentially confirms the suspicion that the stop at the memorial was intended as a response to Francis’s visit to the wall in Bethlehem, during which he offered a silent prayer.

The pope had said the trip would steer clear of politics, but it seems he has quickly found himself at the center of a tugging match between Israel and the Palestinians.