A smiling Palestinian President Yasser Arafat leans towards Pope John Paul II as they speak in Arafat's Bethlehem headquarters during the official welcoming ceremony for the Pontiff March 22. Arafat spoke of Jerusalem being the eternal capital of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian state and the Pope stressed the world has seen the Palestinian people suffer enough, in a ringing endorsement for Palestinian statehood.

JWH/AA