Pope urges Peres to push for Mideast peace

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Pope Benedict XVI urged Israel's president-elect Shimon Peres to work for peace with the Palestinians, in a message ahead of Peres being sworn in on Sunday.
"Many people around the world, as well as Israel's citizens, expect you to push the government and other relevant bodies to do everything to advance peace," the pope wrote in his message, a spokesman for Peres said.

He said he was "sure you will continue to influence and incite courage in other leaders to deal with the challenges of the future."

"This will be the best way to defeat the deadly terror and violence that are condemned by the whole world. The terrorists are betraying humanity," the message said.

Peres, 83, was elected Israel's ninth president on June 13 and succeeds Moshe Katsav who is accused of rape.

The Nobel peace laureate will be sworn in at a ceremony in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on Sunday evening.

"From this moment on, I intend to be the representative of the entire nation and I will devote myself entirely to its service," he said after his election last month as he bade farewell to parliament where he was a member for 48 consecutive years.