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As condolence messages for Pope Francis poured in from world leaders, many noticed something missing: almost complete silence from Israel’s top officials.
While President Isaac Herzog did issue a brief message honoring the Pope’s memory and expressing hope that his legacy inspires kindness, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar made no public remarks. Not even a tweet.
Why the silence? According to Israeli officials, it wasn’t accidental. The decision ties back to the Pope’s repeated and sharp criticism of Israel’s actions during the war in Gaza. Over the past year, Pope Francis had called the situation in Gaza "not a war, but cruelty," and accused Israel of targeting children and committing acts he described as resembling genocide.
That didn’t sit well with many in the Israeli government, and apparently, the tension continued even after the Pope’s passing.
Still, not everyone in Israel agrees with the approach. Raphael Schutz, Israel’s former ambassador to the Vatican, called the silence a mistake. Speaking to the Jerusalem Post, he argued that even if the Pope’s comments were offensive, his role as a spiritual leader to more than a billion people deserved formal acknowledgment. “You don’t keep score after someone dies,” Schutz said.
Oddly, the Foreign Ministry did initially post a message on its social media accounts saying, “Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing.” But the posts were deleted not long after, raising more questions than answers. When asked, the ministry said the posts went up “by mistake” and emphasized that their stance remains unchanged due to the Pope’s past remarks.
With the Pope’s funeral scheduled for Saturday, which falls on the Jewish Sabbath, there’s also uncertainty over whether Israel will send an official representative. Some, like Schutz, believe attendance is essential, not just as a show of respect but to avoid further diplomatic fallout. “If we don’t go, it will be noticed,” he said. “It sends the wrong message to the world, especially at a time when we’re already under the spotlight.”
*Source: JPost.com
