Israeli and Jewish leaders praise outgoing Pope Benedict

‏           Israeli and Jewish leaders praised outgoing Pope Benedict XVI Monday for working to strengthen relations between Catholics and Jews. President Shimon Peres, a Nobel peace laureate, said he was "saddened" to hear of Benedict's shock resignation, and praised the outgoing pope for boosting ties between the Vatican and the Jewish state. "Under his leadership the Vatican has been a clear voice against racism and anti-Semitism and a clear voice for peace. Relations between Israel and the Vatican are the best they have ever been and the positive dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people is a testament to his belief in dialogue and cooperation," Peres said. Benedict, 85, announced Monday he would step down from the post on February 28, a highly unusual move he attributed to his advanced age. Israel's Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger said the pontiff heralded in an age of unparalleled Jewish-Catholic relations. "During his tenure the Rabbinate and the Church enjoyed better relations than ever before," Metzger said. "He deserves great credit for the advancement of relations between all religions." Benedict, who was a member of the Nazi's Hitler Youth as a teenager, was the third pope to visit Israel, coming in 2009 after a visit to the Auschwitz Birkenau death camp in Poland.