Israel has honored Pope John Paul II for his friendship towards the Jewish people by issuing a postage stamp in his memory. It is the first time that a non-Jewish religious leader has appeared on a stamp from Israel.
Released on May 18, 2005, on the occasion of what would have been the pope's 85th birthday, the image on the stamp depicts him placing a note inside a stone of Jerusalem's Western Wall during his historic visit to Israel in 2000. It is captioned in both English and Hebrew with a prayer the pope offered during his visit. “May peace be God's gift to the land he chose as his own. Shalom.”

Israel will also be dedicating a park to John Paul II at a site overlooking the Sea of Galilee, where he celebrated mass during his pilgrimage in 2000.The park aims to provide a place for young people to gather and cultivate a “culture of dialogue to build a future of peace.” The park will include an amphitheatre for meetings
and events.

The John Paul II stamp was designed by Yaacov Granot and was based on a photo by Amos Ben Gershom. It is available in North America from the Israel Philatelic Agency of North America, c/o IGPC, 460 West 34th St., New York, NY  10001. Phone toll-free 800-607-2799 or email ipana@igpc.net.

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