HEBRON, West Bank — Barcelona has kicked off its two-day "Peace Tour" of the Middle East with a clinic for local Palestinian children.
The Spanish club arrived in the region Saturday with superstars Lionel Messi and Neymar touching down in Tel Aviv. They then headed to Bethlehem, where they visited Jesus' traditional birthplace and met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. At the Dura Stadium near Hebron they held workshops and a series of mini-games with dozens of Palestinian children.
On Sunday the team will attend a similar event at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv and meet with Israeli leaders.
The team says the trip is aimed at strengthening institutional ties with the two communities and build bridges of dialogue for peace.
The visit comes shortly after Israelis and Palestinians resumed long dormant peace talks.