The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences to Pope Francis, four days after his death.
A previous offer of condolences on social media was previously deleted by the official state account of Israel, which caused great controversy within the country.
Israel also sends a relatively low -level delegation to the funeral of the late party on Saturday, with the Vatican Ambassador in the country only.
All this was seen in Israel and anywhere else as evidence of the Israeli government’s dissatisfaction with the emotional observations of Pope Francis on the war in Gaza.
Late and somewhat personal, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office issued two condolences from the sentence on Thursday night.
I read: “Israel’s state expresses its deepest condolences to the Catholic Church and Catholic society all over the world at the death of Pope Francis. It may rest peace.”
The original message tone was tweet by the ISRAEL account that was verified on X on the day of the Pope’s death is significantly more warmer.
A picture of Pope Francis appeared in the western wall in Jerusalem and concluded: “His memory may be a blessing.”
But it was pulled quickly, without explanation.
Several Israeli media that were reported were reported to delete it, as we quoted Jerusalem from officials of the Foreign Ministry, saying that it was published in a “mistake.”
The Jerusalem Post also quoted the former Israeli ambassador to the Vatican, Rafael Shotz, describing the decision to delete the published statement as a mistake.
In the face of this criticism, Israeli officials indicated that the current country’s ambassador to the Vatican had offered his condolences personally.
He is the ambassador, Yaron Ceman, who will represent Israel at the funeral of Pope Francis.
This is in a remarkable contradiction with state heads or government who will be attended by most major countries, including US President Donald Trump.
It is also completely different from the funeral of the last Pope to die while he is still in his position-in John Paul II in 2005. Israel sent the then President Moshe Katsaf, and the minister at that time, Silvan Shalom, to attend the ceremony.
The current Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, published an eloquent and my heart for Pope Francis in the hours that followed his death, describing him as a man with a deep faith and his limited sympathy.
But it seems that there are no plans to attend the funeral. No reason has been given, although it may have to do with the funeral that occurs on Saturday, the Jewish Saturday.
But it seems clear that the Israeli government’s dissatisfaction with Pope Francis’s expressions of solidarity with the Palestinians, especially during the war in Gaza, may link its response to his death.
Last November, Pope Francis suggested that the international community study the military attack of Israel in Gaza as genocide – a claim that Israel has strongly denied Israel.
Earlier this year, the humanitarian situation in Gaza was described as “shameful”.
In his last public speech on Easter on Sunday – a day before his death – there was a male of Gaza again. Its title talked about the suffering of both the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Since his death, more details have appeared on how Pope Francis has almost contacted almost daily with a small Christian societal shelter in a church in Gaza City during the war.
The Palestinians spoke warmly about the extent of his expressions of sympathy that gave them hope.
As evidence of their respect for the Pope, the Palestinian Authority sends Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa to the funeral.
All of this means that some in Israel, especially among the alliance of religious and national parties that maintain the Netanyahu coalition, that Pope Francis has taken the side of the Palestinians, despite his expressions of his sympathy for the Israelis and his efforts to promote multi -religious dialogue.
This feeling of disagreement between the current Israeli government and the Vatican may be visible at the funeral of the Pope in Rome, where Israeli leaders will be noticeable in their absence.
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2025-04-25 16:07:00