Pope Benedict XVI returned to the Vatican on Friday at the end of a historic week-long visit to the Holy Land and the Palestinian territories.
The German pontiff told reporters aboard a plane taking them back to Rome that the ''strongest impression'' he had of the visit was that the Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders he had met all ''shared a strong interest in inter-religious dialogue''.
All are motivated by religious rather than political ends, said Benedict.
Taking leave of Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before leaving for Rome, the 82-year-old pope denounced the horror of the Holocaust, calling the Nazi's extermination of an estimated six million Jews the work of a ''godless'' regime.
''That appalling chapter of history must never be forgotten or denied. On the contrary, those dark memories should strengthen our determination to draw closer to one another as branches of the same olive tree, nourished from the same roots and united in brotherly love,'' said the pope.
Thanking Peres for his hospitality, Benedict reiterated a call for peace in the region, again endorsing the 'two-state' solution for Palestinians and Jews proposed by Western nations.
''No friend of the Israelis and the Palestinians can fail to be saddened by the continuing tension between your two peoples. No friend can fail to weep at the suffering and loss of life that both peoples have endured over the last six decades,'' said the pope.
Calling for an end to bloodshed, Benedict said: ''Let it be universally recognised that the State of Israel has the right to exist, and to enjoy peace and security within internationally agreed borders. Let it be likewise acknowledged that the Palestinian people have a right to a sovereign independent homeland, to live with dignity and to travel freely. Let the two-state solution become a reality, not remain a dream''.
