Relations between Israel and the Holy See have grown strained following comments by Cardinal Pietro Parolin marking the second anniversary of the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.
In a statement, Israel’s embassy to the Vatican accused the Secretary of State of drawing a “dangerous moral equivalence,” saying his interview “focused on criticizing Israel while neglecting Hamas’s ongoing refusal to release hostages or end its violence.”
“The interview, though surely well-intentioned, risks undermining efforts to end the war in Gaza and combat rising antisemitism,” the embassy said, stressing that “there is no moral equivalence between a democratic state defending its citizens and a terrorist organization bent on killing them.”
In his remarks, Parolin had described the situation in Gaza as “grave and tragic,” calling it a “slaughter” and urging a return to reason and proportionality in the use of force. He reaffirmed the Vatican’s support for any plan that “involves the Palestinian people in shaping their future and puts an end to the ongoing bloodshed.”
Asked about the diplomatic tensions, Pope Leone declined to elaborate, noting only: “The Cardinal expressed the view of the Holy See.”