A joint stamp issue between Israel and Vatican

Last week on November 3rd 2010 a delegation from the Israel Postal Company and the Vatican Philatelic Service had a personal meeting with the Pope and presented him a joint Israel-Vatican issue. The stamps commemorating Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Holy Land in May 2009 will be officially issued on November 15th 2010.

This is the first time the Vatican Philatelic Service has presented one of their joint issues personally to the Pope.

The Israeli stamp features some of the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem. The Church of All Nations appears in the background of the stamp and on the tab. The letter placed by Pope Benedict XVI among the stones of the Western Wall is shown on the margin of the Israeli stamp sheet (photo courtesy of the Government Press Office photo department) and the margin of the Vatican stamp sheet shows the Pope at the Western Wall.