Jewish group slams Pope’s criticism of Gaza conflict

A Jewish advocacy group to the Vatican on Thursday penned a letter condemning Pope Francis’ criticism of Israel’s operations against Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The pontiff’s criticism is deeply concerning and unbalanced, according to the letter penned by Rabbi Mark Dratch, who is the chairman of the International Jewish Committee on Inter-religious Consultations. The committee says it tries to foster peaceful dialogue and understanding between the Jewish community and religious entities like the Roman Catholic Church, the World Evangelical Alliance, and the World Council of Churches.

What did the letter focus on? Dratch focused on Francis’ recent comments about the war made during the weekend before Christmas. “Yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war,” the pontiff said Dec. 21.

What’s the other side of the story? Israel is fighting a defensive war on jihad terrorism after an unprecedented massacre that killed nearly 1,500 people in cold blood, Dratch wrote in the letter. One-sided perspectives like the pope’s risk undermining the moral clarity necessary to confront global terror threats, he continued. Israel is aiming to protect its own people against terrorists, not inflict cruelty, Dratch continued. Hamas is harming its own people by using civilians as human shields and storing weapons in schools and hospitals, he added.

Dratch ended with a call for the Holy See to regularly condemn Hamas’ actions with the same fervor it has condemned Israel, and call for hostages to be safely returned. Silence against Hamas is dangerous and will only embolden people to sow hatred, he said. Dratch further called for innocent lives in the conflict to be protected and for respectful dialogue to continue between Catholic and Jewish communities. 

How has the Vatican responded? The Holy See didn’t formally comment on the letter released Thursday. However, he followed up Thursday with remarks praying for peace in Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, and other places that he described as in torment.