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Israel would do well to send a senior official, either the prime minister or the president, to the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV. After Israel rightly chose not to dispatch its top leaders to the funeral of the previous pope, who had made harsh statements against it, its soldiers, and its right to defend itself while siding with its enemies, such a move would send a clear message from the Jewish state: we are open to diplomatic and interfaith dialogue, but on equal footing. As the heirs to an ancient Hebrew civilization from which Christianity emerged, we will not present ourselves as paupers at the church's doorstep, ready to suffer humiliation just to maintain diplomatic ties.
Voices within the church are also beginning to speak of restoring relations with Israel, following the damage inflicted by Pope Francis. Rome's Chief Rabbi, Shmuel Disegni, received a letter in which Leo XIV pledged to continue strengthening the church's dialogue with the Jewish people in the spirit of the Nostra Aetate declaration. Issued in 1965 in the aftermath of the Holocaust, the declaration altered the church's position on Jews, affirming that Jews had not lost their status as the chosen people. It strongly condemned all forms of antisemitism and repudiated historical church accusations such as the "Christ killers" charge.
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It is important to understand that the Vatican has just as much interest in maintaining good relations with Israel as we do. There are encouraging signs. The new pope, Robert Prevost, previously served as head of the Augustinian Order. Saint Augustine, in the fourth century, developed the concept of the "just war," defining such wars as those waged to avenge wrongs, when a nation or state refuses to punish wrongdoers among its citizens or to return what was unjustly taken. Even more so if that entity is itself committing those crimes. Augustine believed that defensive wars do not necessarily deter aggressors or prevent future attacks – only punitive wars achieve that.
This reminds me of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's statement last October, when she declared that supporting Israel's right to self-defense "of course means not just attacking terrorists, but eliminating them." That must be Israel's response whenever a politician voices support for our right to self-defense. We're not seeking permission to defend ourselves. We expect our allies to support "Israel's right to eliminate its enemies." Let's not forget that on October 8, before Israel had even entered the war and while our brothers and sisters were still being buried, the previous pope had already proclaimed twice during his sermon, "War is a defeat."
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In his first mass, Leo XIV spoke about Jesus' conversation with his disciples in Matthew 16, noting that it took place "in the beautiful town of Caesarea Philippi... nestled in a breathtaking landscape at the foot of Mount Hermon." He also remarked that for ordinary people, "the man from Nazareth... speaks truths like the great prophets of Israel's history." These are significant statements, as the pope acknowledged Jesus' connection to the Land of Israel and the Jewish people. Unlike his predecessor, who was photographed next to a crib with a doll of Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh and never refuted the falsehood that Jesus was a Palestinian. As a reminder, following the Bar Kochba Revolt (132-135 CE) – 100 years after Jesus' death – Emperor Hadrian ordered the removal of the name "Judea" from Roman records, replacing it with "Palestina" (after the biblical Philistines) as punishment.
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Last Sunday, during his sermon in St. Peter's Square, Leo XIV departed from his predecessor's routine condemnations of Israel and portrayals of the Palestinians as the sole victims. While he referred to the conflict in Europe as "the suffering of the beloved Ukrainian people," when it came to Israel's war with Hamas, he simply said: "what is happening in the Gaza Strip." He did not side with Israel's enemies but called for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid, as well as for the release of our hostages. Crucially, he did not draw false equivalence between "Israel and Palestine" as his predecessor did.
Let us hope this new direction continues. In many ways, it depends on us. Israel failed to consistently present the previous pope with materials documenting what was happening in Gaza and did not protest his antisemitic remarks actively or forcefully. In contrast, the Palestinian propaganda machine tirelessly spread lies that took their toll. With Leo XIV's election, the time has come to change that. Let's hope.
