The head of the Paris archdiocese, Archbishop Andre Vingt-Trois, arrived in Israel on Monday at the head of a large delegation of clergymen, theologians, pilgrimage tour operators and journalists, ending a decade in which there was no cooperation between the French Catholic Church and Israel.

The delegation is being hosted by the minister of tourism, Yitzhak Herzog, and the director general of the ministry, Nahum Itzkowitz. The French Embassy in Tel Aviv is contributing to the program as well.

Upon landing at Ben-Gurion airport, Archbishop Vingt-Trois carried out the traditional ceremony of salt, wine and bread. "We are happy to be in the Holy Land. Jerusalem is the center of religions and it must unite all the religions in line with the vision of Jesus for unity, peace and tolerance," he said.

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Archbishop Vingt-Trois is considered to be influential in the Vatican and very close to Pope Benedict XVI. He is known for an interest in human-rights issue, and reconciliation between nations, and his visit is meant to send a message of peace to Israel and the Palestinians, as well as encourage a rise in the number of Catholic pilgrims to the Holy Land.

On a number of occasions in the past, he declared his belief in the need for stronger ties between France and the Jewish people and Israel.

The archbishop is scheduled to meet with the chief Sephardic rabbi, Shlomo Amar, tonight. Also planned for his visit in Israel is the signing of a special treaty at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum, committing the Catholic Church to joint research on the victims of the Holocaust. At the same time, he plans to declare a visit to Yad Vashem as mandatory for Catholic pilgrims to the Holy Land.

Last night the Archbishop took part in a dialogue on ethics and security in the 21st century, organized at Tel Aviv University. Later in the week, his delegation will visit Nazareth and other holy sites in the Galilee.