Opinion: Pope Francis defied western silence on Gaza, but Vatican complicity endures

In his latest column for Middle East Eye, scholar Joseph Massad argues that while the late Pope Francis was a lone western voice against Israel's genocide in Gaza, he failed to shift the Vatican's centuries-long support for colonialism.

Massad writes: "The Israeli foreign ministry deleted condolence posts about the late Pope from its official X (Twitter) account and directed its missions around the world to do the same. It also issued an internal order for ambassadors not to sign condolence books at the Vatican embassies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not send any condolence messages, although Israel's President Isaac Herzog, whose position is merely titular and ceremonial, did.

Yet despite all his support for the people of Gaza facing the genocidal Israeli military machine, Pope Francis did not impose any sanctions on Israel.

He did not expel the Israeli ambassador from the Vatican, nor did he withdraw the Vatican ambassador from Israel. No suspension of diplomatic relations was even considered, though states like Colombia, Bolivia, Honduras, Belize, Chile, Chad, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa withdrew their ambassadors or their entire diplomatic missions.  

Whatever support the pontiff might have offered to the Palestinians with his personal touch was never translated into the diplomatic realm."

You can read the full column below. 

Opinion: Pope Francis defied western silence on Gaza, but Vatican complicity endures