RAMALLAH, West Bank – Actor Richard Gere (search) has embarked on another Mideast peace mission, touring the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday and endorsing an end to violence.
In his third visit to the region in recent months, Gere has met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (search) on Tuesday, a day after seeing Israeli leaders.
On Tuesday, Gere visited a cultural center in Ramallah (search), the Palestinian administrative capital in the West Bank. He said Abbas' call for a halt to attacks against Israelis is important.
"It is time to encourage the true face of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian movement," Gere said.
Inside the center, Gere, 55, who won a best actor Golden Globe in 2003 for his role in the musical Chicago, exchanged ideas with Mahmoud Darwish, known as the Palestinian national poet.
On Monday Gere met in Tel Aviv Israel's two vice premiers, Shimon Peres and Ehud Olmert, as well as the head of the dovish Israeli opposition Yahad party, Yossi Beilin. "It is a time of change," the actor said. "Both Israelis and Palestinians need to make sacrifices for this peace to come."
In March and June of last year, Gere toured Israel and the West Bank to promote social justice.
While this week's visit wasn't announced in advance, dozens of fans showed up before his meetings in Tel Aviv to catch a glimpse of the actor.
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