Pope Meets with Israeli and Palestinian Women at the Vatican

(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 03.28. 2026) – Fifteen representatives of «Mothers’ Call,» a movement that organizes barefoot women’s marches in thirty countries, arrived at the Vatican on March 25 to highlight their plea for a future of peace, freedom, equality, rights, and security for future generations in the Middle East.

The last «Barefoot Walk» took place on the afternoon of March 24 in the streets of Rome. On the 25th, they arrived at St. Peter’s Square to hear Leo XIV speak and to share their common desire for peace. «We want an immediate and definitive end to the violence and the start of negotiations in which women, Palestinian and Israeli mothers, together, have a decisive role,» they declared.

Yael Admi, an Israeli activist well-known for Women Wage Peace, and Reem Al-Hajajreh, a Palestinian activist and founder of Women of the Sun, reiterated their joint call for an end to violence. Both are Nobel Peace Prize nominees as founders of “Mothers’ Call.”

Two other Christian women, Catherine Shomali and Hyam Tannous, led the march to demand an end to violence, the protection of children, and the inclusion of women at the negotiating table. They expressed their emotion after meeting with the Pope at the General Audience: «On the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and just days before Holy Week, we experience the example of Mary as a guide to follow in the difficulties of daily life, to defend all families in the Middle East, and to build a future of peace.»

All barefoot, the women presented the Pope with a declaration urging women «to demonstrate courage and a vision for the future to bring about this historic change, to which we all aspire (…) and to restore hope to our people.»

Yael Admi recounted: «I saw my mother lose her eldest son and be unable to go on. She died of grief. But I know that our responsibility is to overcome this profound grief, this agony, and find the strength to care for our other children and future generations, because it is our duty as mothers.» From her pain and awakening, she started the movement following the 2014 Gaza War to seek a political solution to the conflict and a full role for women in the peace process.

Layla al-Sheik, a Palestinian mother who lost her son Qusay in the Second Intifada, and Elana Kaminka, mother of Yannai, an Israeli soldier killed on October 7, shared their memories with their children and the new generations, urging them to sow a better future: «The new generations are our greatest hope. We want them to have the opportunity to grow, to realize their dreams, to live a meaningful life, to contribute to their society. And we don’t want them to be killed, nor do we want them to have to kill anyone in wars. We must find in our hearts the strongest energy to overcome pain, despair, agony, and hatred, and work for a better future for them all.»

Following the General Audience, Reem Al-Hajajreh emphasized that, «in this political process in the region, women and religious leaders have been excluded. This is a grave mistake. Today is the Feast of the Annunciation. Mary is a very important figure for many religions. And today is the anniversary of the launching of our initiative.»

Yael Admi commented: «When I’m in the shelters trying to calm my nephews, terrified by the bombings, I think of the mothers of Israel, the mothers of Palestine, of Lebanon, the mothers of Iran. We all want the same thing: we don’t want our children to be killed. We share this desire, and together we can change the reality. Right now, I believe, is the time to build a regional coalition of women because resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a key factor for the stability of the region. And it’s urgent. We must do it today.»