ALBAWABA - Israel expressed condolences over Pope Francis’s death amid rising tensions with the Vatican following criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
On Thursday, three days after Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88, the Israeli government issued a statement expressing its sorrow over the demise of the late Pope Francis.
In a message that was published by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it was said that "The State of Israel expresses its deepest condolences to the Catholic Church and Catholics around the world on the passing of Pope Francis, may he rest in peace."
A word of sympathy was posted on the X platform by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs a few hours after the news of Pope Francis's death was made public. The message said, "Rest in peace, Pope Francis." We pray that his soul finds eternal rest. Afterwards, the message was deleted without providing any reason.
It was claimed by the Associated Press that the decision to erase the message seemed to reflect tensions that had grown between Israel and the Vatican following the Pope's frequent condemnation of Israel's actions during the Gaza War. This occurred in the midst of overwhelming worldwide sadness over the death of Pope Francis.
She went on to say that Netanyahu is always fast to give remarks following the deaths of significant international individuals, but he kept mute for many days surrounding the death of the Pope. He sent his condolences to Pope Francis, describing him as "a man of profound faith and boundless compassion." Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who has a job that is mostly ceremonial, expressed his condolences.
The late Pope's trip to the Holy Land in 2014 was a defining moment in the gradual improvement of relations between Israel and the Pope during his lifetime. On the other hand, everything changed once the Gaza War broke out on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an assault on southern Israel for the first time.
Wadih Abu Nassar, the leader of an organization that represents Christians in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said that Pope Francis expressly denounced the events that took place on October 7. However, he also made it very clear that the events that took place on October 7 do not excuse the events that have taken place since then.
In addition, Abu Nassar said that Pope Francis "was like a friend who spoke the truth, even if it wasn't exactly what you wanted to hear."
According to Amnon Ramon, an expert on Christianity in Israel and a senior scholar at the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research, Pope Francis struck a careful balance throughout the conflict between his strong relations with Israel and his condemnation of the tragic losses in Gaza. Ramon is a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research.
In Gaza, Pope Francis maintained an extremely strong relationship with the local parish priest, who, like his predecessors, is originally from Argentina.
