Israel looks forward to stronger Vatican ties under Pope Leo – president

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost addresses the crowd from the main central loggia balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave, in the Vatican, on May 8, 2025. —Photo by Tiziana Fabi | Agence France-Presse

JERUSALEM – Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday congratulated newly elected Pope Leo XIV and said his country welcomed the prospect of stronger ties with the Vatican.

“We look forward to enhancing the relationship between Israel and the Holy See, and strengthening the friendship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land and around the world,” Herzog posted on X.

“May your papacy be one of building bridges and understanding between all faiths and peoples.”

Relations between Israel and Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, have been strained since the war in Gaza broke out after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Francis condemned Hamas’s attack on Israel, but also regularly criticised Israel’s conduct during its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, at one point describing it as “cruelty.”

While Herzog swiftly paid tribute to Francis on the day of his death on April 21, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waited more than three days to express his condolences.

Herzog on Thursday said he hoped for “the immediate and safe return of the hostages still held in Gaza, and a new era of peace in our region and around the world.” /atm