Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finally offered condolences on the passing of Pope Francis four days after his death.
“The State of Israel expresses its deepest condolences to the Catholic Church and the Catholic community worldwide at the passing of Pope Francis,” Netanyahu posted on X. “May he rest in peace.”
The message appeared after an initial post from Israel’s foreign ministry was posted but quickly deleted on Monday
President Isaac Herzog offered condolences on social media hours after Francis died on Monday morning.
The pontiff’s relationship with Israel and many Jewish leaders deteriorated after October 7, 2023, after he was accused of failing to pin the blame sufficiently on Hamas, and seemed to equate the terror group’s assault on Israeli towns with Israel’s military response.
