This report downloaded from Word Israel News. Dated 18 November 2024. With thanks. By David Rosenberg, World Israel News. Images, headers, by Christian Comment.
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.’
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 [ 17 November ], 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 excerpts published 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.”
EXCESSIVE?
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.”
CATHOLICISM
“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.”
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CHRISTIAN COMMENT
How accurate these reports are, may be open to question. However, the point that Israel is held to a (much) higher moral standard than any other nation on Earth, is beyond question.
If we take the Bible straightforwardly, Israel is to be restored to her ancient lands, and there to be viscerally hated by the world at large. At one level, none of today’s tragedies should be surprising. What might be surprising is the comprehensiveness with which the institutional churches (in contradistinction to the true church, the body of Christ) absorbs and reflects ancient hatreds against God’s chosen people.
In “Rebel Church – A Challenge and an Encouragement to the Believer” (Glory to Glory, 2013) author Peter Sammons posits that as the world’s hatred of Israel gathers pace, so will the institutional churches’ hatred align. The institutional churches have so absorbed the world’s agendas across so many areas of moral ‘rebellion’ that – on the matter of Israel – the ‘churches’ must inevitably follow suit. As night follows day!
Chapters 5 and 6 of Sammons’ book are specially relevant. The book is freely downloadable as a PDF here: https://christian-publications-int.com/default-61.html?ID=121 . Why does the church hate Israel? One answer may be that the return of Israel to her ancient lands marks the beginning of the end of ‘the church’s’ hegemony over the Gospel, and the nearness of Christ’s return which signals the end of the so-called ‘Church Age’.
Before the present Hamas war, in September 2021, Christian Comment reported on the ‘Methodist’ church’s hatred of Israel: https://christiancomment.org/2021/09/01/a-reason-to-hate/ . There is no denying that this hatred runs deep.
Readers must make up their own minds whether today’s ‘Israel question’ signals a “shofar blast” to alert us to the nearness of our Lord’s return. As the western world (especially) begins to disintegrate, we might contemplate the extent to which our self-destruction reflects God’s clear promise – to bless those that bless Israel, and to curse those that curse Israel. (Genesis 12: 3 and Numbers 24: 9).
A matter for prayer and contemplation …………..
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