April 8, 2005 - 11:35 PM

World Unites in Handshakes at Pope's Funeral

By Ralph Gowling

LONDON (Reuters) - World leaders -- some at politicalloggerheads or even officially at war -- paid their finalrespects to Pope John Paul on Friday, uniting by joining in theRoman Catholic Church's handshakes of peace.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav said he shook hands withSyrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President MohammadKhatami at the Pope's Vatican funeral, but Syria later calledit a formality that did not mark any change in policy.

"I think it gave us a glimmer of hope that something canchange in the Middle East," Israeli Foreign Minister SilvanShalom told CNN. Syria's state news agency quoted an officialsource as saying: "The protocol required that participantsshook hands as a formality ... it had no politicalsignificance."

President Bush exchanged greetings with French PresidentJacques Chirac, a fierce critic of the Iraq war, as some of thegestures were captured by television pictures beamed liveacross the world.

Britain's Prince Charles shook hands with ZimbabweanPresident Robert Mugabe, so shunned by the European Union ithas banned him from the bloc, and former Polish President LechWalesa made peace with his successor after a 10-year feud.

The Pope has been hailed by many as a force for peace andthe Church invites people at its masses to offer each other asign of peace such as a handshake. Catholics also oftenexchange words like "Peace be with you."

"MIRACLE"

"How can anyone say the Holy Father does not workmiracles?" Walesa said after ending a decade of animosity withAleksander Kwasniewski, a communist turned social democrat whobeat the former Solidarity leader in his 1995 re-election bid.

"Yesterday (the handshake) would have been unthinkable,"said Walesa, a long-time friend of Polish-born John Paul. Hehas credited the Pope with being an inspiration behindSolidarity's drive to end communism in Poland in the 1980s.

For Prince Charles the handshake with Mugabe triggeredembarrassment in EU heavyweight Britain, prompting the royalhousehold to issue a statement.

"The Prince of Wales was caught by surprise and wasn't in aposition to avoid shaking Mr Mugabe's hand," said a spokeswomanfor the prince. Mugabe is a Roman Catholic.

Bush and Chirac, publicly committed in the past few monthsto improving relations since their fallout over the 2003U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, exchanged "friendly words," Chirac'soffice said.

Katsav's handshakes with Assad, whose country is formallyat war with Israel, and Khatami were splashed as a "Historicencounter in Rome" by the Jewish state's largest-circulationdaily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

It was believed to be the first time an Israeli presidenthad shaken hands with Syrian and Iranian leaders. It wasunknown whether the handshakes were caught on film.

"I told him 'Good morning' and he shook my hand," Katsav,whose post is largely ceremonial, told Israel's Channel 2television of his encounter with Assad. The Israeli and Syriandelegations had been seated next to each other.

Iranian-born Katsav said he spoke in his native Farsi toKhatami about their common city of birth. Iran officially seeksIsrael's destruction.

"The president of Iran extended his hand to me, I shook itand told him in Farsi, 'May peace be upon you'," said Katsav.

No immediate comment was available from Iran.

Katsav said he later shook Assad's hand a second timeduring the funeral. "The second time ... was his initiative --he extended his hand to me," Katsav said.

But Katsav said: "I don't think there is any politicalsignificance to this. We are cultural people and say hellonicely and shake hands."

Israeli and Syrian negotiators last held peace talks in2000 that foundered over the future of the Golan Heightsoccupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war.

Israel has accused Iran of supporting anti-Israelimilitants and has been a fierce critic of its nuclear program.