After calling Israel’s wars against Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups ‘immoral,’ the Vatican pontiff is now calling for a probe into the IDF’s conduct, citing accusations ‘by some experts’ that ongoing war has ‘characteristics of genocide.’
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
Pope Francis has called for an investigation into alleged acts of genocide by IDF forces during the ongoing wars against the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, according to an upcoming book.
On Sunday, the Italian daily La Stampa published excerpts from Hernán Reyes Alcaide’s new book, Hope Never Disappoints. Pilgrims Towards a Better World, which is set to be released on Tuesday.
Among the excerpts published Tuesday were quotes attributed to the Vatican pontiff in which he is said to have cited claims by “some experts” accusing Israel of genocide, and backing an investigation of IDF war conduct.
“According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” Pope Francis is quoted as saying.
“We should investigate carefully to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”
Pope Francis has already publicly castigated Israel’s war against Hamas and Hezbollah, calling the IDF’s actions “excessive” and “immoral.”
“Defense must always be proportionate to the attack,” the pope told reporters on September 29th.
“When there is something disproportionate, one shows a tendency to dominate which goes beyond what is moral,” he continued.
Even operations which are essentially defensive can be “immoral actions” if they are “excessive,” Pope Francis argued.
Later on Sunday, the Combat Antisemitism Movement slammed Pope Francis’ remarks, comparing it to the historic “Inquisitions.”
“The State of Israel is currently facing a war of intended annihilation on seven fronts, and these remarks look like a possible opening of an eighth front, from of all places, the Vatican, which can also lead to the spilling of Jewish blood around the world,” said CAM CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa.
“For a Pope who appears to prize even-handedness and peace, we see that the Jewish State once again appears to be the exception.”
“We had hoped after Nostra Aetate in 1965 that the Jewish People would be seen as equal to all others around the world by the Catholic hierarchy, but these claims suggest otherwise, and out of all the conflicts and real genocides around the world, the national homeland of the Jewish people is once again singled out as a target for opprobrium.”
“The Catholic Church has a very troubling history of investigations into the conduct of Jews, which were frequently called Inquisitions,” continued Roytman Dratwa.
“It would behoove Pope Francis to choose his words more carefully because they bring to mind a horrific and bloody history of Catholic religious leaders attacking Jews for the enjoyment of others in public at tribunals and Inquisitions where the Jew would always be found guilty regardless of the facts.”