He is an overwhelmed young man: in addition to his illness, he suffers from painful infections and stunted growth. Coming from a family of Christian Arabs, he believes very strongly that the only thing that can psychologically and morally heal him is a meeting with Pope Francis. He therefore petitioned the office of the Chief Rabbi of Israel, David Lau.
The rabbi reported to the newspaper Israel Hayom that it was out of the question to let this request go unanswered:
"The Pope’s visit to Israel is dedicated to strengthening relations between religions to create a dialogue of peace and brotherhood among nations,” the rabbi said, “and I cannot think of a better illustration of these intentions than when a young Christian feels he can ask the Chief Rabbi of Israel to fulfill his dream.
“I plan to invite him to join me to attend the ceremony to receive the Pope, and I hope there will be an opportunity for the Pope and the boy to meet.”
