Chief Rabbi Lau Calls Out Pope Frank'instein For “Outrageous Statement”

Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Dovid Lau on Sunday published a letter to Pope Francis calling him out on a comment he made last month during a conversation with President Isaac Herzog that seemed to equate Israel’s actions in Gaza to Hamas’s atrocities.

Pope Francis said that it is “forbidden to respond to terror with terror.”

 “The State of Israel embarked on a just war in the face of attacks from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen that threatened the very existence of the State,” Rav Lau wrote. “Islamic terrorism, which crosses almost all international borders, has reached our home. The murder, rape, vandalism and abuse suffered by civilians, the incessant calls for the destruction of Israel and the abduction of hundreds of innocents into captivity, including children, women, men, and the elderly, forced upon us a war for our existence. A war for our survival. Our life. Our desire to grow our crops in peace and live with our neighbors in dignity.”

“As a person who is knowledgeable of the world’s history, you are surely aware of the suffering of the Jewish people throughout the ages. The people who introduced the concept of one God and the values of the Torah: compassion, kindness and mercy, were forced to stand up for themselves. An unfortunate mistake did indeed take place, a mistake that sadly resulted in the accidental death of the two women in the churchyard in Gaza. This, however, does not turn us into terrorists. It was not us who initiated the attacks with the stated purpose of murdering, pillaging, humiliating and killing civilians. On the contrary, we are doing everything possible to prevent and reduce harm to civilians.

“I apologize for feeling an inner obligation to respond to your words, but I am concerned that one of the innumerable followers of the Head of the Catholic Church, who eagerly absorb your observations, may perhaps misinterpret your words. Therefore, based on our acquaintance and past meetings, I respectfully request you to change your definition of the events. I pray that peace, calm and serenity prevail in our world.”