In his new book, Hope Never Disappoints, released in Italian in November 2024, Pope Francis echoes fears that have been expressed throughout the world, especially in the Global South but also on the streets and university campuses of the big cities of North America and Europe. He writes: “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”
South Africa introduced a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice on this question in December 2023. Shortly after the publication of the pope’s words, the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrests of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, as well as Muhammad Deif, a leading Hamas militant, all accused of crimes against humanity.
What motivates the pope in his stand on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian war? And why are some Jewish partners in dialogue expressing misgivings about the pope’s words?
Throughout the past year, the pope has shown his commitment to living the Gospel, working for justice and promoting the social teaching of the church, which finds its models in contemporary prophetic figures like Óscar Romero and Pedro Arrupe. He condemned the attacks by Palestinian militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, leading to the death of about 1,200 and the taking of about 250 hostages. Although constantly calling for the hostages’ release, he was also among the first to challenge the Israeli military response, increasingly disproportionate, that left tens of thousands of dead. Throughout the months since then, the pope has incessantly pointed out that war is a defeat for everyone, insisting that whereas self-defense is legitimate, wars in our modern age are inevitably unjust, wreaking indiscriminate death and horrific destruction.
In posing the question about genocide, the pope is determined that the church not be accused again of being silent, accusations that rang out after the Holocaust, when Jews were the victims of genocide. Like his predecessors, he too is committed to justice for Palestinians and Israelis alike. He speaks of a war between Israelis and Palestinians as opposed to the official Israeli narrative about a “just war” against Hamas—a struggle between a legitimate state, Israel, and an illegitimate terrorist organization, Hamas. That portrayal of Israel versus Hamas ignores key elements of the conflict:
- This conflict is the latest round in a war that has been ongoing for decades between Israelis and Palestinians, long preceding the establishment of Hamas, dating back at least to the establishment of the state of Israel and the genesis of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe).
- It is important to recall that almost all Palestinian political organizations that have struggled for justice for the Palestinians have been labelled “terrorist” by the Israeli establishment since 1948.
- Prime Minister Netanyahu has recommitted to his longstanding opposition to Palestinian statehood, his support for Jewish ethnocentricity and Israeli claims on all the territory of historical Palestine, positions that target the whole Palestinian people.
- Furthermore, he has legitimized the most extremist forms of Zionism, bringing into his cabinet politicians like Itamar Ben-Gvir, the internal security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, who have called for policies that amount to ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the use of starvation against Palestinians, and who defend extremists who kill Palestinian civilians.
- This present round of conflict has already spread to the West Bank, where paramilitary gangs of settlers are imposing a reign of terror with impunity.
- Israel’s fears of Iran and those seen as Iranian proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen) and their attacks on Israel have led to Israeli military strikes on Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran in ever-widening circles of war.
The church has insisted that the only way to end the conflict is by guaranteeing justice, freedom and equality for Palestinians, the condition to guarantee peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike. The United Nations, the International Court of Justice and affiliated institutions were founded after the Second World War to try to prevent future wars. The church stands by them, teaching that international law must be respected. But these institutions and the working of international law are being undermined continually by Israel’s refusal to abide by their rulings (even though Israel itself came into being through a U.N. resolution). Israel is supported by too many of the very powers that established and are supposed to preserve these international instances.
It is undoubtedly shocking for many that the question of genocide is raised with Israel as a potential perpetrator. In the 20th century, Jews were the victims of the most horrific genocide in history and the common reaction to the Shoah has been to say, “Never again!” The Israeli government and its supporters, both Jews and non-Jews, tend to brand anyone raising the suspicion of genocide in Gaza as antisemitic, a reaction voiced too often at any criticism of Israel or expression of support for the Palestinians.
Does the pope’s willingness to criticize Israel and raise questions about genocide correlate with a seeming insensitivity to the history of Christian antisemitism? The uprooting of anti-Jewish attitudes in Catholic discourse is far from complete, as evidenced in occasional remarks by Pope Francis and his predecessors. The two most recent unfortunate remarks were:
- A letter from the pope to the Catholics of the Middle East (July 10) referred to John 8:44, a verse that has been used in Christian history to propagate anti-Jewish sentiment and in modern times horrific antisemitism.
- In his address on establishing the Pontifical Committee for the World Day of Children (Nov. 20), the pope commented on “rabbis” at the time of Jesus being irritated by children. The comment, without reference, strengthens stereotypes that should be rooted out.
These comments do not promote the teaching of respect for Jews and Judaism that the church has promoted since 1965.
Adam Gregerman, professor of Jewish Studies at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, in an Tablet magazine article highly critical of the pope’s comments on genocide and his attitude to the conflict, wrote, “Francis has spoken often and highly personally about Jewish-Catholic relations and emphasized his commitment to deepening the connection between the two long-estranged communities.” This prefaces a moving tribute to Francis’ record on fighting antisemitism and building relations with Jews. But why, then, do remarks that are tainted with anti-Judaism still make their appearance? To what extent do these remarks originate in the pontiff himself, or are they attributable to those assisting him in preparing his discourses and published texts?
Whatever the response, these remarks are frustrating and disappointing. They compromise the pope’s stand on the Israel-Palestine war and allow some to accuse him of anti-Jewish sentiment, contradicted by his commitment to friendship with the Jewish people. Most important, they divert attention from the most important issue at stake, the ongoing violence in the Middle East.
While the pope’s deep concern for the Palestinians, alongside all the peoples of the Middle East, makes his voice a clarion call, criticism of Israel and its political leadership’s disregard for Palestinian lives and liberty must never evoke reprehensible tropes associated with anti-Judaism and antisemitism. The church must constantly renew the commitment to fight against every trace of anti-Judaism and antisemitism while at the same time fighting for justice for the Palestinian people. Without the commitment to Palestinians, pushed to the margins since 1948, the struggle for justice and peace, liberty and equality for all in the Middle East is doomed to fail.
Finally, as daily military attacks leave tens of dead and wounded, pushing the death toll to almost 45,000 over the past year; as hundreds of thousands live in makeshift tent cities or atop the rubble of their homes; as malnutrition and even starvation take their deadly toll; and as winter approaches and disease spreads, the pope constantly reminds us of Gaza. The war has continued for so long that it hardly makes news anymore. Following the events on the ground, the pope, in almost daily contact with the Catholic community in Gaza City, knows more about what is happening than most. He cannot but demand that we remember and push ceaselessly to end this ongoing catastrophe.
