Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday expressed his condolences to the Catholic community for the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday.

On Monday, the only Israeli official to express condolences to the Catholic world was President Isaac Herzog, who voiced that the pontiff's "memory will inspire acts of kindness and hope for humanity.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar were notably silent, neither issuing any comment nor tweeting about the Pope’s passing.

Israeli officials have not concealed the reason for this silence – it is directly linked to the Pope’s recent statements regarding Israel and the war in Gaza.

A post to X/Twitter by Israel wishing condolences over the death of Pope Francis, which has since been deleted. (credit: Screenshot via X, mtcurado from Getty Images Signature via Canva)
A post to X/Twitter by Israel wishing condolences over the death of Pope Francis, which has since been deleted. (credit: Screenshot via X, mtcurado from Getty Images Signature via Canva)
Over the past year, Francis remarked that what is happening in Gaza “is not a war. It’s cruelty,” and accused Israel of “bombing children and mowing them down with machine guns.” He also claimed that “what is happening in Gaza has characteristics of genocide.”

Nevertheless, several Israeli officials have criticized the decision to remain silent, arguing that the Pope was not just a political leader.

The Foreign Ministry did briefly post messages on social media accounts – Instagram, Facebook, and X – saying, “Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing.” However, those posts were deleted shortly afterward, raising eyebrows and drawing attention.

Officials at the Foreign Ministry told The Jerusalem Post that “the tweet and messages were posted in error. We responded to the Pope’s statements against Israel and the war during his lifetime, and we will not do so after his death. We respect the feelings of his believers.”

Amichai Stein contributed to this report.