March 21st (EWTNews) At Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, the Holy Father kissed and blessed a bowl of Israel's earth, thus greeting the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of God made man in Jesus Christ. After words of welcome by President Weizmann, the Pope expressed his emotion at setting foot in the Land where God chose to "pitch his tent." He spoke of the urgent need for peace in the area, between Christians and Jews, and for dialogue between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. He looked forward to meeting resident Catholics of a variety of traditions, and Christians of other Churches and Communities. And so he embarked on the second stage of his pilgrimage to the holy sites where the salvation of man was accomplished by a merciful God. From Tel Aviv, the Pope flew to Jerusalem by helicopter, his scheduled flight being cancelled due to bad weather.