Jerusalem: As tributes poured in from across the world following the death of Pope Francis, the official response from the Israeli government has remained notably restrained, exposing the strain in diplomatic relations between Israel and the Vatican in recent months.

Deleted condolences and silence from top leaders

The Israeli Foreign Ministry’s official account on X reportedly posted a message that read, "Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing." However, the post was later removed. According to Israeli media outlet Ynet, diplomats around the world were instructed to delete similar messages and avoid signing condolence books placed at Vatican embassies.

While Israel’s Foreign Ministry has not officially commented on the deleted post, it confirmed that Israel’s ambassador to the Vatican, Yaron Sideman, will attend the pope’s funeral on Saturday.

At the same time, key Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gidon Saar, have remained publicly silent about the pope's death. On Tuesday, both expressed grief over an unrelated tragedy in India, where 28 people were killed in a terrorist attack, but said nothing about the passing of Pope Francis.

A tense relationship since the Gaza conflict

Tensions between Israel and the Vatican had worsened after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Pope Francis condemned the attack but also criticised Israel’s military response, calling it “cruelty, this is not war”. His remarks drew backlash in Israeli political and public spheres.

Although the pontiff also warned of a “growing climate of anti-Semitism,” his repeated criticisms of Israel's conduct during the conflict drew sharp reactions. An editorial published in The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday commented that Pope Francis's "moral compass faltered time and again" when it came to Israel. The editorial continued, "From the very beginning of his papacy, Francis struck a markedly different tone toward the Jewish state than toward its adversaries," and suggested that "history may record him as a missed opportunity -- another well-meaning pope who failed to rise above the politics of the moment, and in doing so, lent moral cover to those who seek Israel's destruction."

Herzog among the few to speak

President Isaac Herzog, whose role in the Israeli government is largely ceremonial, was among the first to offer official condolences. He described Pope Francis as "a man of deep faith and boundless compassion," adding that the late pope had "fostered strong ties with the Jewish people."

Meanwhile, Jonathan Peled, Israel’s ambassador to Italy, left his tribute to the pontiff online. In his X post, Peled wrote that Pope Francis was "a compassionate leader, who tirelessly promoted dialogue, peace and justice."

(With inputs from AFP)