On Tuesday 5 December 2017, a meeting took place in Rome between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Palestinian Commission for Interreligious Dialogue.

The delegation of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue was headed by His Eminence Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President. The Palestinian Commission for Interreligious Dialogue was headed by H.E. Shaykh Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Supreme Judge of the State of Palestine and President of the same Commission.

The other participants from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue were H.E. Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, Secretary, and Monsignor Khaled Akasheh, Bureau Chief for Islam.

The other members of the Palestinian Delegation were H.E. Mr Ziad Al-Bandak, Minister and Counsellor to the President for Church Affairs, H.E. Mr Adnan Al-Husseini, Governor of Jerusalem and Member of the Higher Islamic Council, H.E. Mr Issa Kassissieh, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Holy See, and Mr Ammar Al-Nisnas, Counsellor of the Embassy.

The two sides decided to establish a Joint Working Group for Dialogue, through the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding.

The two delegations were pleased to meet with His Holiness Pope Francis, on Wednesday 6 December, who expressed his joy for the establishment of the Joint Working Group, wishing it success in its mission.