Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine dealing with general principles of freedom of religion, organizational rights of the Catholic Church in Palestinian Authority areas, respect for holy places and personal status of Catholics. Its preamble shows support for Palestinian aspirations of independence by recognizing a "State of Palestine" that consists of all the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including East Jerusalem. This stipulation has angered the Israeli government, that doesn't recognize the officially proclaimed State of Palestine. The Israeli government deplored the conclusion of the agreement. Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman termed it as one-sided for not recognizing the rights of the Jewish people
Foreign relations of the Holy See accredited also to the Holy See. For reasons of economy, therefore, smaller countries accredit to the Holy See a mission situated elsewhere and accredited also to the country of residence and perhaps other countries. Massimo Franco, author of "Parallel Empires", asserted in April 2009 that the Obama administration had put forward three candidates for consideration but each of them had been deemed insufficiently pro-life by the Vatican. This claim was denied by the Holy See's spokesman Federico Lombardi, and was dismissed by Thomas Patrick Melady, former United States Ambassador to the Holy See, as being in conflict with diplomatic practice.