Why Israel deleted its condolence message for Pope Francis from social media

Israel’s abrupt withdrawal of condolences following Pope Francis’s death has sparked diplomatic uproar and has led to protests within its foreign service corps. The post, shared on the verified @Israel account on the social media platform X yesterday, read, "Rest in Peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing," and featured a photo of the pontiff at the Western Wall. Within hours, however, the message was removed. 

 

Officials later described the post as a "mistake," attributing the deletion to the Pope’s outspoken condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza—remarks in which he described the offensive as "cruelty" with "characteristics of genocide."

 

The deletion was swiftly followed by a directive from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, instructing all diplomatic missions to take down any similar posts and to refrain from signing condolence books at Vatican embassies. The instruction came without explanation, leaving many diplomats both baffled and outraged. 

 

"We received no explanation, only an unequivocal order to delete," one diplomat told Ynet News. "When we asked, we were told that the issue was ‘under review.’ This does not satisfy us, and certainly not the public to whom we represent Israel."

 

The episode has highlighted internal dissent within Israel’s diplomatic corps. Ambassadors stationed in Catholic-majority countries voiced particular concern, warning that such an abrupt and opaque decision risked alienating the global Catholic community—some 1.2 billion people—and harming Israel’s already fragile international reputation.

 

"This was a simple, innocent tweet expressing condolences," said one diplomat in a WhatsApp group for Israeli envoys. "We deleted it clearly because of the Pope’s criticism of Israel over Gaza. That looks petty."

Critics argue that the move only worsened perceptions of Israel's intolerance toward opposing viewpoints, even when they come from a revered spiritual leader.

 

Raphael Schutz, Israel’s former ambassador to the Vatican, told The Jerusalem Post that the deletion "a mistake" and insisted that mourning the death of a pope transcends political disagreements. "Pope Francis was not merely a political figure," he said. "He was a spiritual leader admired by nearly one-fifth of the world’s population."

 

President Isaac Herzog did issue a personal message of condolence, expressing hope that the Pope’s memory would inspire "acts of kindness and hope for humanity." However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar notably remained silent, mirroring what observers interpret as a broader policy of distancing from the Vatican under Francis.

 

A senior Foreign Ministry official defended the decision, stating, "The tweet was posted by mistake. We responded to the pope’s statements against Israel during his life, and we will not do so after his death. We respect the feelings of his followers."

 

Despite these efforts to downplay the move, the decision has drawn rebuke from sections of Israeli media, which described it as "harsh and baffling." Within the ministry, complaints over the lack of transparency have intensified, with ambassadors questioning why such a diplomatic opportunity for goodwill was so quickly discarded.

 

Francis and the state of Israel have long shared a complex relationship. The pope always supported Palestinian rights, even as he reaffirmed Israel’s right to exist. He was committed to a two-state solution, one in which Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in dignity and peace.

 

Yet his vocal criticism of Israel’s Gaza remained a point of tension. He was worried about the humanitarian toll of the conflict, criticising the targeting of civilian infrastructure, and once even asked whether the military operation bordered on genocide. His daily calls to Gaza’s Holy Family Church—the territory’s only Catholic parish—offered solace to the 500 people, including Muslims, sheltering there until the eve of Easter.

 

The Pope’s final call to the church came just two days before his death. In his last public appearance, on Easter Sunday, he repeated his plea for a ceasefire, urged Hamas to release Israeli hostages, and decried the rise in global antisemitism. Yet even as he criticised Israel’s tactics, Francis remained firm in condemning hatred against Jews, reinforcing his identity as a bridge-builder in times of escalating polarization.

 

Some of his public gestures also led to criticism in Israel. Among them was the unveiling of a nativity scene in St Peter’s Square in December, where the Infant Jesus was depicted wrapped in a Palestinian keffiyeh. While some praised it as a sign of solidarity with the Gazans, most Israelis saw it as a revisionist slight, pointing to Jesus’ Jewish heritage.

 

Francis, however, was careful to clarify that he was not directly accusing Israel of genocide, but rather calling for an impartial investigation into the humanitarian catastrophe. At the same time, he also expressed his solidarity with the Israeli families affected by the war and the hostage crisis and always took a stance against antisemitism.

 

In the Muslim and Arab world, his passing was marked by tributes from Hamas and UNRWA, who hailed his vocal defence of Palestinian rights and his efforts to humanise the victims of war. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza continued even on the day of his death, casting a grim shadow over his funeral preparations.

 

The Pope's funeral, scheduled for Saturday, coincides with the Jewish Sabbath, raising sensitive questions about Israel’s official representation. For Schutz, diplomatic protocol must outweigh scheduling inconveniences. "If we don’t go, it will be noticed," he said. "It sends the wrong message to the world, especially at a time when we’re already under the spotlight."

Middle East