Continuing his Mideast tour, the Pope visits Bethlehem, where he calls for a sovereign Palestinian state and urges the lifting of the Gaza embargo (1) (3) (6) (12). The White House announces dates for upcoming visits of Israeli, Egyptian, and Palestinian leaders (2). Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says that progress in peace negotiations must come before broader Arab recognition of Israel (5). Religious tension mounts in the Arab city of Nazareth in Israel, just ahead of the Pope's visit (9). The leader of the Palestinian "Islamic Jihad" organization argues against any recognition of Israel (13). 1,500 settlers rally in the evacuated West Bank Israeli settlement of "Homesh" (14).