Palestinians scrap plan to receive pope

Ramallah: A Palestinian lawmaker says the Palestinian Authority has scrapped plans to receive Pope Benedict XVI during his Holy Land visit next week on a stage next to Israel's West Bank separation barrier.

Officials in the Aida refugee camp hoped that the spot, next to a guard post and a towering concrete section of the barrier, would highlight Palestinian suffering under the Israeli occupation.

Palestinian lawmaker Essa Qaraqie said the committee organizing the West Bank portion of the visit moved the location to a United Nations school inside the camp "after huge Israeli pressure."

The pope's convoy will still pass next to the wall, which can be seen from inside the school courtyard, Qaraqie said.

Israel says the barrier is a security measure, needed to keep out Palestinian attackers.