In a revealing move reflecting the increasing tensions between Israel and the Vatican, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs removed several condolence messages from its social media accounts on Tuesday following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88.
These posts, shared through the official accounts of Israeli diplomacy on X (formerly Twitter), included the message: “Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be blessed,” but were quickly taken down.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the deletion was motivated by concerns over hostile domestic responses due to the Pope’s repeated critical stance on the Gaza war. A senior official from the ministry reportedly said that the messages had been “posted by mistake,” adding that Israel had already responded to the Pope’s criticisms while he was alive, and there was no need to continue after his death.
A clear directive was then issued to all Israeli embassies worldwide: delete any posts or official reactions concerning the Pope’s death without providing a public explanation. The order, relayed by Yediot Aharonot, came with a strict command: “No statement, no tribute should remain.”
This embarrassing manoeuvre triggered ripples within Israel’s diplomatic corps. Several ambassadors voiced their concerns in internal WhatsApp groups within the ministry. “By deleting a simple condolence message, we risk severely damaging Israel’s image, particularly among the hundreds of millions of Catholics around the world,” one of them warned. Another diplomat pointed to the inconsistency of the official attitude: “Everyone understands that this withdrawal has only one reason: the Pope’s criticism of the war in Gaza.”
Maariv also reminded readers of Pope Francis’ December 2024 remarks, where he called Israeli airstrikes on Gaza “barbaric” and condemned the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave as “shameful.”
In the context of heightened diplomatic tension, former Israeli Ambassador to Italy Dror Eydar went further, stating that “Israel should not even attend the Pope’s funeral if we have any national dignity left.” He compared Pope Francis to Pope Pius XII, often called “the Pope of Silence” during the Holocaust, and accused the late Pontiff of contributing to the rise of antisemitism with his repeated criticisms of Israel.
This latest episode fits into a broader context of tightening rhetoric within Israel’s official discourse on the international stage. It is perceived by some observers as a sign that the arrogance of Israeli officials is becoming more visible and less compatible with traditional diplomatic practices, risking the alienation of some of the country’s historic partners.