Netanyahu's belated condolences highlight strained Israel-Vatican ties

• The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed his condolences several days after the death of Pope Francis.
• The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, expressed sorrow on the day of the Pope's death.
• The Pope's relations with Israel were tense due to his stance on the conflict with Hamas.

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, extended his condolences on the passing of Pope Francis after several days of silence. This was communicated on Thursday evening through the X platform, previously known as Twitter.

The State of Israel expresses its deepest condolences to the Catholic Church and the Catholic community worldwide at the passing of Pope Francis. May he rest in peace, wrote Netanyahu.

On the day of the Pope's death, the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, expressed his sorrow. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel also published condolences, although the post was later removed. The ministry explained that the message "Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing," appeared by mistake.

The relations between Pope Francis and Israel worsened after the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. According to many Jewish leaders, the Pope did not speak clearly about this event and criticized Israel's retaliatory actions.

Amnon Ramon, an Israeli historian, noted that the Pope tried to maintain a balance between maintaining close ties with Israel and condemning the losses in the Gaza Strip. Father David Neuhaus, a former spokesman for the Pope, emphasized that Francis always considered war a failure and called for an end to violence.

Father Neuhaus expressed hope that the successor of Pope Francis will continue his message of mercy and unity. He expressed the hope it will be someone who can unite all people.