Pope Leo XIV Calls Two-State Solution the “Only Path” to Israeli-Palestinian Peace

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the Vatican’s long-standing support for a two-state solution on Sunday, declaring it the “only solution” capable of resolving the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The remarks, delivered during his first in-flight press conference as pontiff, marked his clearest public statement yet on the issue.

“We all know that at this time Israel still does not accept that solution, but we see it as the only solution,” Leo said while flying from Istanbul to Beirut for the second leg of his maiden papal journey. “We are also friends with Israel, and we are seeking to be a mediating voice between the two parties that might help them close in on a solution with justice for everyone.”

Reaffirming the Vatican’s Position Amid Renewed Global Debate

The Holy See formally recognized the State of Palestine in 2015, but Leo’s remarks come at a moment when the future of Palestinian statehood is under renewed global scrutiny. Several countries have upgraded or formalized recognition of a Palestinian state this year, even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists Israel’s opposition to statehood “has not changed one bit.”

Netanyahu has argued that establishing a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and endanger Israel’s security–an assertion he repeated earlier this month.

There was no immediate response from Netanyahu’s office to the pope’s latest comments.

Turkey’s Role and Regional Tensions

Leo confirmed that during his visit to Turkey, he discussed both the Gaza war and the Russia-Ukraine war with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, praising Turkey’s ability to act as an intermediary in both conflicts.

“Unfortunately, we still haven’t seen a solution,” Leo said of Ukraine. “But today there are new, concrete proposals for peace.”

On Gaza, he restated that a Palestinian state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza remains the international community’s most widely supported framework for peace. “We know that in this moment, Israel doesn’t accept this solution,” he said, “but we see it as the only one that can offer a solution to the conflict that they are living in.”

Arrival in Lebanon at a Moment of Crisis

The pope’s flight landed in Beirut under heavy security, escorted by a Lebanese military jet. In a rare move, he traveled through the capital in a closed popemobile–reflecting the tense atmosphere following years of economic collapse, political paralysis, and fears of renewed conflict with Israel.

In an address at Lebanon’s presidential palace, Leo urged the country’s leaders to commit themselves fully “at the service of your people.” He encouraged Lebanese families to remain in their homeland despite years of hardship.

“There are times when it is easier to flee, or simply more convenient to move elsewhere,” he said. “It takes real courage and foresight to stay or return to one’s own country.”

A Visit Laden With Symbolism

Lebanese Christian leaders said the pope’s presence sends an important signal to a country where Christians now make up roughly one-third of the population and continue to shrink due to emigration and instability.

“In this difficult moment, the pope’s visit is a sign of hope. It shows that Lebanon is not forgotten,” said Bishop George, archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut.

A delegation of 300 Syrian Christians also traveled to Beirut to attend events with the pope. “We are in need of someone like the pope to come and give us hope as Christians,” said 24-year-old Dima Awwad. “We wish that the pope would come to visit Syria… to feel that we are present as eastern Christians and that we need to be in this place.”

Two-State Message Dominates First Media Encounter

Though Leo avoided direct reference to the Gaza conflict during much of his Turkey visit, the short airborne press conference placed the two-state issue front and center. With only two questions allowed due to the brief flight, the pope used much of the time to underscore that the Vatican sees no alternative to Palestinian statehood as a framework for regional peace.

“We see it as the only one that can offer a solution… with justice for all,” he repeated.

Leo will hold a longer press conference upon his return to Rome on Tuesday, where additional questions on Gaza, Israel, and broader Middle East diplomacy are expected.

Prophetic Concerns Raised Over Push for Two-State Framework

The renewed international momentum behind a two-state arrangement has also stirred strong reactions among biblical prophecy teachers and evangelical leaders who interpret territorial partition through passages such as Joel 3:2, which warns of judgment upon nations that “divided up My land.”

Several well-known prophecy scholars cautioned that any attempt to divide territory understood as covenant land—biblically promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—carries serious spiritual implications.

George Whitten, founder of Worthy Ministries, noted the complexity of the issue. “While the land is covenanted with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it does not mean that God doesn’t have a part to play with the Sons of Ishmael,” he said.

Whitten pointed to Genesis 17:20, where God promises to bless Ishmael with multiplication and influence. “God’s promise to Ishmael was remarkably specific and generous,” he said, referring to the twelve princes listed in Genesis 25:12–16 — Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah — regarded as the patriarchs of the Arab peoples. “This was a divine blessing of multiplication, prosperity, and influence that God Himself initiated out of His compassion for Hagar and her son.”

At the same time, Whitten argued that this blessing exists in tension with theological elements within Islam that he believes conflict with the Abrahamic blessing principle of Genesis 12:3: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.”

“The challenge we face is that traditional Islamic teaching includes antagonism toward both Christians and Jews, which places adherents in direct conflict with God’s blessing principle,” he said. “When a religious system teaches its followers to curse those whom God has called to bless, it creates a spiritual barrier to receiving the fullness of what God intended for Ishmael’s descendants.”

Still, Whitten stressed that this tension does not absolve believers of their responsibility to pursue peace. “As ministers of reconciliation, called according to 2 Corinthians 5:18–19, we see the urgent need to bring genuine, lasting peace to the Middle East,” he said. “But we must be clear-eyed about the reality: this can only be accomplished through the Prince of Peace, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) — not through political resolutions, international agreements, or land divisions imposed by secular authorities.”

Whitten concluded that while diplomacy has its place, true and enduring peace in the region must come through spiritual transformation — one that honors God’s covenant purposes while extending grace and the gospel message to all peoples, including the descendants of Ishmael.

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