Israeli Foreign Ministry Summons Vatican Ambassador After Pope's Gaza Comments

The Israeli Foreign Ministry recently summoned the Vatican ambassador for a meeting following Pope Francis's remarks on Israeli actions in Gaza. According to an Israeli source, the meeting, which took place this week, involved Nuncio Adolpho Tito Yllana, the Holy See’s ambassador to Israel, and the director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The meeting was described as a "conversation" between the two officials, with no formal diplomatic protest issued.

Earlier this week, Pope Francis condemned Israeli airstrikes in Gaza during a speech, calling the attacks “cruelty” after reporting that children had been bombed. He expressed his emotional reaction, stating, “This is not war. This is cruelty. I want to say this because it touches my heart.” In response, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Mamorstein criticized the Pope’s statement, arguing that the pontiff was overlooking the cruelty of Hamas.

During his Christmas message, Pope Francis again called for a ceasefire in Gaza, describing the situation as “extremely grave.” However, he did not repeat his earlier remarks of "cruelty" regarding Israeli actions. The Pope had previously suggested that allegations of genocide in Gaza should be "carefully investigated" and was seen in a controversial photograph in December next to a nativity scene featuring Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian nationalism.

Israel's Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, responded to these incidents by accusing the Pope of perpetuating a “dangerous blood libel” against Israel. Chikli also claimed that the Pope was distorting historical facts, particularly regarding the situation in Gaza.