Israeli ex-official urges snub of Pope Francis funeral over Gaza remarks

Israel's former ambassador to Italy has called for his country to snub Pope Francis' funeral over the late pontiff's comments expressing concern for Gaza.

Former diplomat Dror Eydar was quoted by Israeli newspaper Maariv as saying that Israeli participation in the pope's funeral "affects its national dignity".

He added that a low-ranking official should be sent to the ceremony as "a message that Jewish blood is not without a price".

Eydar said the pope had spoken only "a few words" in support of Israel, while accusing it of genocide in Gaza - a charge that has been supported by a number of states and leading human rights groups, including Amnesty International.

The former envoy accused the pope of focusing on the suffering of Gaza's children, over 16,000 of whom have been killed since October 2023, while apparently ignoring the suffering of Israeli children.

He also labelled the late church head "anti-Semitic", comparing him to Pope Pius XII who served during the period of the Second World War and the Nazi Holocaust.

Amid global messages of condolences for the pope and the Catholic church, Israeli officials have largely been silent on the matter, with the exception of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Herzog said the pope’s memory will inspire acts of kindness and hope for humanity”.

Israel’s official X account initially tweeted: "Rest in Peace Pope Francis, may his memory be a blessing", however, later deleted the message.

While no official statement has been issued on the uniform silence, it is likely that it is due to the pope’s remarks about Israel’s war on Gaza, where more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.

In his career as pontiff, Pope Francis recognised the State of Palestine, allowed its flag to be raised at the Vatican, and visited Bethlehem, where he prayed at the Church of the Nativity and stopped at Israel’s ‘apartheid wall’ to pray for peace.

In his final public address, he described the war on Gaza as bringing "death and destruction" and causing a "horrific and shameful" humanitarian situation.

Prior to this, he had indicated a belief that Israel could be committing genocide in Gaza, calling for an international investigation.