Last update - 00:00 07/10/2007
WJC President head Ron Lauder to meet with the Pope Monday
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz staff
The president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, is scheduled to meet Monday with Pope Benedict XVI.
Last week, Lauder met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and is due to meet with other world leaders over the coming weeks. Lauder will be accompanied by senior officials of the WJC in Europe for his meeting with the pope, as well as by the new secretary general of the WJC, Michael Schneider.
President Shimon Peres met with the Pope in Rome last month. The two discussed Middle East peace efforts, with the Vatican saying the time seemed particularly favorable for Israelis and Palestinians to work to end decades of conflict.
The Holy See and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1993. However, a long-standing tax dispute has ruffled relations between the two sides, and is seen by Israel as the main obstacle to wider cooperation. The issue was raised in Peres' talks.
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