Pope Francis expressed strong criticism today regarding Israel’s actions to dismantle the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza, accusing the country of acting with “cruelty.” During his holiday speech to Catholic cardinals, the Pope remarked, “Yesterday, children were bombed. This is cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to say this because it touches the heart.”
The Pope further claimed that the Catholic bishop of Yerushalayim, known as the “patriarch,” had attempted to visit Gaza on Friday but was denied entry by Israeli authorities.
In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement rejecting the Pope’s characterization, declaring, “In response to the Pope’s statement today: Cruelty is terrorists hiding behind children while trying to murder Israeli children; cruelty is holding 100 hostages for 442 days, including a baby and children, by terrorists and abusing them.”
The Ministry continued, “Unfortunately, the Pope has chosen to ignore all of this, as well as the fact that Israel’s actions have targeted terrorists who used children as human shields.” They emphasized that the Pope’s comments were especially troubling because they ignored the factual context of Israel’s struggle against jihadist terrorism, which had escalated starting on October 7.
The Ministry acknowledged the tragedy of any innocent loss of life in war but stated, “Israel makes extraordinary efforts to prevent harm to innocents, while Hamas makes extraordinary efforts to increase harm to Palestinian civilians.” They concluded, “The blame should be directed solely at the terrorists, not at the democracy defending itself against them,” adding, “Enough with the double standards and the singling out of the Jewish state and its people.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel took to Twitter, saying, “Hamas uses children as human shields and targets innocent civilians on both sides. The Pope’s comments overlook the reality of Israel’s fight against brutal terror imposed on it on October 7. The responsibility lies with the terrorists, not with the state defending its citizens.”
Haskel further criticized the Pope’s stance, stating, “In his continued attitude toward Israel, the Pope is undermining 80 years of rebuilding relations between Roman Catholics and Jews since the Holocaust, when the Vatican protected Nazis.” She added, “He is destroying the reconciliation that Pope John Paul II was so passionate about with the Jews. This is a just war as Israel still has 100 hostages left in Gaza.”
The IDF reported today that the patriarch’s entry into Gaza had been approved, with plans for his visit set for Sunday. The IDF also noted that aid from the patriarch’s office had entered Gaza the previous week. Additionally, the IDF highlighted that it permits clerics to enter Gaza and collaborates with the Christian community to facilitate assistance for the remaining Christian population in Gaza, including coordinating their potential relocation to a third country.
{Matzav.com Israel}
This filthy Avi avos hatumah is a lowlife dog. Let him get busy with his people
Who cares what the goy with the white yarmulka has to say about cruelty?!
The “kind” Catholic church that he represents burned Jews at the stake, persecuted us for centuries and stabbed us in the back during the Holocaust.
Nothing new from the Christian church — whose “New Testament” with its false depictions of Jews is the root cause of anti-Semitism for the past 2 millennia (think Crusades, Inquisition, thousands of Pogroms and of course the Holocaust). As Rabbi Miller writes in Awake My Glory, “Hitler was walking a beaten path of Christian anti-Semitism, and all their pent up hate surfaced during the Churban.” And let’s not forget the great Pope “Pious” the Twelfth, who during the Churban in Europe refused to utter even a word of condemnation for the atrocities being committed hourly against the Jewish people. Let them preach to themselves and leave the Jews alone!
What a nerve for this piece of trash to tel us about cruelty. Inquisition, crusades, holocaust, etc.
The Pope, aside from ignoring the facts so as not to disturb his antiSemitism, is the embodiment of tumah in the world, representing a so-called religion that practices avodah zara and which has a 2000 year history of murder,torture and pogroms against the Jews, not to mention the Pope’s collaboration with the nazis during the holocaust and all the Jewish children they “saved” who they converted and raised as Carholics. And *last, but not least, this “porush” with a white yarmulke who dines on venison, and wine with every meal, is actually a communist and socialist, more fit to be a bar bouncer, his original occupation, than a “religious leader.” In short, hi moral authority? Zero.
He’s just simply doing the Pope-A-Dope. He’s gone back to the anti-Semitism portrayed by popes over the years, which recently was less than the forefront. He’s simply a moron.
Yemach Sh’mo V’zichro
Besides being an anti-Semite, this avi avos hatumah is a terrorist who supports evil. He was b”H drained as part of the swamp over 5 years ago for his crimes against children. So this is an actor to keep his name alive and the smokescreen going until the EBS will disclose his crimes.
Why are you showing a picture of him? It wasn’t so long ago that if people came across a picture of someone in his position they would cover it over and now frum publication are showing it!
Matzav is losing it.
Why are you showing a picture of him? It wasn’t so long ago that if people came across a picture of someone in his position they would cover it over and now frum publication are showing it!
Someone who is meracheim on achzorim is cruel
The pope is cruel