Israel’s muted response to the death of Pope Francis has drawn criticism from Catholic leaders and diplomats alike, fuelling speculation that the Holy See’s outspoken opposition to the Israeli war on Gaza played a central role in the diplomatic snub.
Despite the Pope’s global stature and his condemnation of violence on both sides of the conflict, the Israeli government has opted not to send any senior officials to his funeral on Saturday.
Instead, Israel will be represented solely by its ambassador to the Vatican, Yaron Zaidman.
The move stands in sharp contrast to Israel’s previous diplomatic behaviour — including the 2005 funeral of Saint Pope John Paul II, where the president, foreign minister, and top judicial and religious leaders were present.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Catholic officials in Jerusalem and across Israel expressed deep disappointment at the government’s near-total silence following the Pope’s passing.
While global leaders offered tributes within hours of the Vatican’s announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waited three full days before issuing a brief 28-word condolence statement attributed to his office, as opposed to from him personally.
Even more controversially, Israel’s Foreign Ministry initially posted condolence messages on its official social media accounts — only to delete them hours later, reportedly on direct orders from senior officials.
The deleted posts, which included the line "Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing", were reportedly ordered to be scrubbed from all Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide.
No reason was given, but Israeli ambassadors, particularly those stationed in Catholic-majority countries, expressed anger and confusion in internal communications.
Some warned that the move would cause "serious harm to Israel’s image", with one diplomat quoted saying, "It’s obvious to everyone that the only reason is the Pope’s criticism of Israel over the fighting in Gaza".
Catholic Church sources confirmed that Pope Francis had met with families of both Israeli captives and former Palestinian prisoners from Gaza, expressing deep compassion for their suffering.
During a memorial Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in occupied Jerusalem, his calls for the captives’ return and an end to the war were cited prominently.
One church official said the Pope had stayed closely connected with the families, even assigning a cardinal to contact one mother daily with prayers and support.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry, in a late statement, insisted that it had shown due respect: "The State of Israel has expressed its condolences to Catholic believers… Israeli ambassadors around the world signed Vatican condolence books… and Ambassador Zaidman paid his respects at the Vatican."
But no statement was issued by Netanyahu’s office, and his cabinet remains publicly silent.
Throughout the course of the Gaza war, Israel has aggressively confronted states and entities that disagreed with its devastating war on Gaza, which many human rights groups and governments have described as a genocide.