First publication: Israel prepares for the Pope's visit

Tiberias Mayor Yossi Naba'a reveals in an interview with 'Maariv' that the city has begun preparations for the visit of Pope Leo XIV, expected in 2030. Naba'a warns of a wave of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and cautions that time is short, requiring broad governmental preparation including infrastructure, hotels, and budgets.

Tiberias Mayor Yossi Naba'a reveals in a first interview with 'Maariv' that the city has begun initial preparations for the visit of Pope Leo XIV, expected to take place in 2030. Naba'a notes that the visit is planned to mark a milestone in Christianity and is expected to bring hundreds of thousands, even millions, of pilgrims to the north. According to him, municipal preparation alone is insufficient, and he demands government involvement including a cabinet decision and budgets from the Finance Ministry. Key needs include upgrading infrastructure, increasing hotel capacity, adapting public spaces, and establishing a national steering committee. Naba'a notes that three hotels in Tiberias have already received permits and will add about a thousand rooms, and additional hotels are under construction. He warns that although the event is about four years away, planning and construction time is short and requires immediate start. Naba'a compares the expected visit to that of Pope John Paul II in 2000 and argues that this time better preparation is needed. It should be noted that the Vatican has not published an official confirmation of the visit.