Pope Paul VI came on a day-long visit to Israel on January 7, 1964, marking the first papal trip ever to Israel, as well as being the the first time a pope had left Italy in over a century, and the first time a pope had flown on an airplane during his tenure. Following his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which ranged from the Galilee to the West Bank, Pope Paul VI crossed the border into Jordan for a short visit there. The Vatican did not yet recognize Israel as a state. An additional milestone in the relationship was reached when Pope John Paul II visited Israel in March 2000. The pope visited holy sites of all three major religions, blessed Israel and expressed support for a Palestinian homeland. The pope's trip was hailed as a great success and contrasted with his predecessor's brief visit in 1964, when he did not mention Israel by name, nor meet with any Israeli official. On May 11, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI became the third pope to visit Israel, marking an important stage in the development of Vatican-Israeli ties. During the week-long visit to the Holy Land, the pope visited the Western Wall and Yad Vashem, and met with the president, prime minister and chief rabbis.
