BREAKING NEWS

Lapid: Pope advocated for respect for all faiths, including Jews

Opposition head Yair Lapid issued a message of condolences on Wednesday following Pope Francis's passing on Monday. 

"Pope Francis was a deeply compassionate leader. His tireless dedication to fighting poverty and disease contributed to a better world," Lapid wrote on X/Twitter. 

"He strived for acceptance of all members of his faith and advocated for mutual respect with those outside it, including the Jewish community," he added. 

The statement comes amid silence by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli figures on the subject.

On Tuesday, it was reported that the Foreign Ministry briefly posted messages on social media accounts relaying condolences. However, these were deleted shortly afterward. 

Amichai Stein contributed to this report.