The Israeli government initially posted a message on social media expressing condolences for the death of Pope Francis, but later removed it without explanation. An Israeli newspaper suggested that the removal was linked to the pope’s previous criticisms of the Gaza conflict. The verified @Israel account shared the message on Monday, stating: ‘Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.
May his memory be a blessing,’ accompanied by a photo of the pope at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. According to the Jerusalem Post, foreign ministry officials indicated that the pope had made ‘statements against Israel’ and that the post was published ‘in error.’
The foreign ministry, associated with the verified @Israel account on social media, did not respond promptly to a request for comment from Reuters. Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, had previously suggested that the international community should consider whether Israel’s military actions in Gaza could be classified as genocide against the Palestinian people, marking some of his most direct criticism of Israel’s actions in the ongoing conflict with Hamas that began in October 2023.
In January, he described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as ‘shameful,’ which drew criticism from Rome’s chief rabbi, who accused the pope of ‘selective indignation.’ Israel has dismissed allegations of genocide in its Gaza operations, asserting that its focus is solely on targeting Hamas and other militant groups.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads a far-right coalition, has not publicly addressed the pope’s death. In contrast, Israeli President Isaac Herzog extended condolences to Christians in the Holy Land and globally, honoring Francis as ‘a man of deep faith and boundless compassion.’
Over recent decades, relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism have improved significantly after a long history of tension.
Throughout his 12-year papacy, Pope Francis was generally cautious about aligning himself in conflicts. He denounced the rise of antisemitic groups and made it a point to communicate with Gaza’s small Christian community every evening during the war.
In 2014, he visited the Western Wall, the holiest site for Jewish prayer, and also prayed at a part of a wall constructed by Israel that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.
