The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome”
The Australian Jewish News by Michael Scott 10 April 2025

Extracts:

• Intifadas — intense violence, including numerous suicide bombings of civilian targets

This reductionist perspective — one that assumes Israel’s defensive capabilities make aggression against it acceptable — ignores the human cost of resilience

• Each intercepted rocket may prevent immediate loss of life but it does not erase the trauma it leaves behind
• A community is left shaken, living under the perpetual shadow of the next attack
• A family is disrupted, forced to seek shelter at a moment’s notice, their daily lives dictated by the whims of those who fire indiscriminately
• A society is held hostage, conditioned to accept constant threat as an unavoidable reality rather than an aberration that demands decisive action

This adds to the trauma of a population who endured the Second Intifada
The Second Intifada also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada erupted in September 2000 and persisted until February 2005

This period was marked by intense violence, including numerous suicide bombings targeting buses, restaurants and other public spaces within Israel

These attacks resulted in significant civilian casualties and widespread fear among the population
The relentless nature of these assaults profoundly traumatized Israeli society, leaving enduring psychological scars

The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome”
The Australian Jewish News by Michael Scott 10 April 2025

Extracts:

• Double standards and Hypocrisy

Beyond the immediate suffering, failing to confront aggression head-on emboldens adversaries to escalate their violence

History proves that unchallenged hostility does not fade — it festers

As General Douglas MacArthur once warned:
Observers now have the benefit of hindsight: ignoring threats does not neutralise them; it emboldens them

Each time Hamas, Hezbollah, other terrorists or Iran launched an attack without decisive repercussions,
1. they grew bolder,
2. relentlessly probing Israel’s red lines
3. and testing global tolerance for their terror campaigns

Yet, Western political elites — and most so called Israel allies — and media figures consistently overlook these realities

Instead they demand,
1. an unrealistic level of restraint from Israel
2. while ignoring far more aggressive counter-terrorism operations undertaken by other nations in the region

The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome”
The Australian Jewish News by Michael Scott 10 April 2025

Extracts:

• Purpose of This Article

This article provides an overview of Israel’s extraordinary air defence system, examining both its strategic necessity and its unintended consequences

It exposes the opportunity — cost of maintaining a technologically superior yet economically burdensome defence apparatus, questioning whether this reliance on interception alone has prolonged rather than resolved the threats Israel faces Yes!

Beyond the financial and psychological toll, the article explores how adversaries exploit this defensive posture to dictate the terms of engagement

Finally, it considers alternative approaches used in the region to defeat terrorism, contrasting Israel’s measured responses with the decisive actions taken by its neighbours to neutralise similar threats

The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome”
The Australian Jewish News by Michael Scott 10 April 2025

Extracts:

• The Four Layers of Missile Defence

Israel’s missile defence architecture operates on four interconnected layers:

• Iron Dome

The most well-known component, designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells
It provides coverage for areas up to 70 kilometres, boasting a success rate often cited above 90%

• David’s Sling

A system for intercepting medium- to long-range missiles and drones, bridging the gap between the Iron Dome and higher-level defences

• Arrow 2 and Arrow 3

Advanced interceptors designed to neutralise long-range ballistic missiles, including those carrying unconventional warheads

• Multi-Tier Coordination

These systems work in concert, guided by cutting-edge radar and tracking technologies to optimise resource deployment and ensure seamless coverage against a spectrum of threats


While technologically extraordinary, these systems come at a staggering cost
October 7 extraordinary failure and staggering brutal cost — coming to 19 months

The financial burden of maintaining, upgrading and deploying these defences underscores Israel’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding its population
No safeguarding of October 7 victims

However it also highlights the asymmetric nature of Israel’s conflicts

The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome”
The Australian Jewish News by Michael Scott 10 April 2025

Extracts:

• The Iron Dome’s Economic Challenge

Each Iron Dome interceptor costs approximately US$50,000 whereas the rockets it intercepts — often crude and inexpensive — may cost as little as a few hundred dollars This disparity underscores the economic challenge Israel faces in defending itself against asymmetric warfare

During the May 2021 Gaza conflict, Hamas fired over 4,000 rockets at Israel
The Iron Dome intercepted 90% of those deemed a threat, reportedly costing Israel hundreds of millions of dollars

Beyond the financial toll, indirect costs — such as disruptions to daily life, economic activity and psychological strain on civilians — further compound the burden

Since October 2023 rocket fire from Gaza and Lebanon has surged, with estimates exceeding 7,000 rockets fired in the months following Hamas’s coordinated attack Each interception — while saving lives — adds to mounting defence expenditures

An enemy only needs to “get lucky” once to penetrate air defences and strike a high-rise tower in Tel Aviv or critical infrastructure
Israel however must get lucky every time

• 07 October 2023 Colossal Failure All fronts

1. well-resourced Intelligence agencies in the world — famed and deadly Mossad, Shin Bet
2. Surveillance
3. Technology
4. Communications
5. IDF

The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome”
The Australian Jewish News by Michael Scott 10 April 2025

Extracts:

• Alternate Methods of Treatment — Double standards and Hypocrisy

The challenge posed by Islamist terrorism is not unique to Israel

• Jordan and Black September (1970)

In 1970 the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) operated within Jordan, posing a direct threat to the monarchy

In Black September, King Hussein launched a military crackdown, expelling PLO militants
The Jordanian army engaged in brutal urban warfare, decisively crushing PLO forces and forcing their relocation to Lebanon

An estimated 3,400 to 5,000 militants were killed

• Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s Crackdown on Islamists

Egypt under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has waged an aggressive crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, resulting in thousands of arrests and military operations that eliminated 1,000 to 2,000 militants

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have aggressively targeted Islamist groups, restricting their activities and aligning their counter-terrorism efforts with Egypt

The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome”
The Australian Jewish News by Michael Scott 10 April 2025

Extracts:

• Peace Through Strength

Such an approach found favour with Rabbi Meir Kahane, often referred to as the “militant rabbi”
A controversial figure, Kahane was an outspoken advocate for Jewish self-defence and a staunch opponent of any concessions to terrorism

Kahane famously declared:
1. One does not deal with terrorists;
2. one does not bargain with terrorists;
3. one kills terrorists

Kahane’s views were polarising and while some saw Kahane as a visionary who spoke hard truths about security, others — both within and outside the Jewish community — condemned him as extremist, divisive and dangerous

Kahane's Kach party was banned from Israeli politics for its radical positions and Kahane was ultimately assassinated in 1990 by El Sayyid Nosair, an Egyptian-born Islamist terrorist, in New York City

Nosair was later linked to the network that carried out the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, underscoring the very dangers of terrorism that Kahane had long warned about

The Strategic Burden of Israel’s “Iron Dome”
The Australian Jewish News by Michael Scott 10 April 2025

Extracts:

• Conclusion

Israel’s multi-layered missile defence systems, epitomised by the Iron Dome, are testaments to its ingenuity and resolve
However they come at a profound cost — financially, socially and psychologically

Indeed — Reflecting on my [Michael Scott] military career,
1. I have seen firsthand how complacency in defence can be lethal
2. Technology alone cannot eliminate threats

Warfare is a continuous cycle of adaptation — with adversaries constantly adjusting to bypass strengths and exploit weaknesses

Perhaps one of America’s founding fathers and first president, George Washington, said it best in 1799
Colonel Michael Scott CSC Conspicuous Service Cross recipient is a former commander ADF and the CEO and Founder of The 2023 Foundation, a charity focused on combating antisemitism and fostering peaceful coexistence

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the positions of the Australian Defence Force ADF or the Commonwealth Government of Australia

Israel-Gaza War: Why wasn’t Israel prepared?
ABC Australia If you're listening by Matt Bevan 28 October 2023

Extracts:

• 07 October 2023 — How did Israel not see this coming?

The Israeli Government is one of the most well-resourced intelligence communities in the world specifically designed to prevent an attack from terrorists

So how did Israel fail to detect such a terror operation | just over the Israel-Gaza border — right under their nose | that involved, among others:
1. months of planning
2. meetings in multiple countries
3. thousands of militants
4. and it was not secretive either

| Complacency and supposedly Fort Knox deterrence | Israel's Achilles heel

Some 1,000 relatives of fallen soldiers said to sign letter in support of Gaza fighting
The Times of Israel 18 April 2025

Extracts:

• petition in support of Gaza fighting

Petition drafted by right-wing organization comes after recent wave of letters by various groups urging deal for the return of all hostages even at cost of ending the war

Roughly 1,000 IDF reservists and civilian professionals, relatives of fallen soldiers, were said to have signed a letter published Friday urging Israel to continue its war in Gaza, marking a rebuttal to the growing wave of public appeals to prioritize the return of all hostages even at the cost of ending the war

The letter, drafted by the right-wing Gvura (Heroism) Forum asserted,adding,
The Gvura (Heroism) Forum said the letter was signed by some 1,000 relatives of soldiers killed amid the ongoing war in Gaza and in previous wars and operations on various fronts However it did not immediately publish the names of the signatories on its website, Facebook page or X feed

The letter states,

• The war must not be stopped before all its goals are fully achieved —
• the return of the hostages
• the elimination of the enemy
• and the assurance that Gaza will not pose a threat to the State of Israel

The letter by the Gvura (Heroism) Forum appears to have come as a response to an ongoing wave of petitions signed by various groups in Israel calling for a deal for the return of all the remaining hostages being held by the terror group Hamas in Gaza even at the price of ending the war

Some 1,000 relatives of fallen soldiers said to sign letter in support of Gaza fighting
The Times of Israel 18 April 2025

Extracts:

• More petitions — for and against the Gaza war

On Thursday, three more petitions were published, containing the signatures of civil pilots, ex-soldiers and bereaved family members of fallen soldiers

The trend was started by a letter by members of the Air Force, most of them retired, urging to end the war if that is the only way of returning the hostages

Before the letter’s publication, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir and Israel Air Force chief Major General Tomer Bar lobbied the signatories in private meetings to refrain from publishing the petition

After publication, the IDF threatened to dismiss the several dozen active reservists among those who signed the petition

The Air Force letter was quickly emulated by people from other branches of the military as well as groups from a variety of civilian professions

One of the letters published Thursday was signed by 458 former members of the Golani Brigade calling for the immediate return of the hostages even at the expense of the cessation of fighting

Signatories included former IDF Intelligence chief Major General (res.) Uri Sagi, former Central Command head Major General (res.) Ilan Biran and Maayan and Ron Kehati, whose son Sergeant Gur Kehati was killed in Lebanon in November

Another letter, signed by 315 former members of reconnaissance and infantry units, stated,

Some 1,000 relatives of fallen soldiers said to sign letter in support of Gaza fighting
The Times of Israel 18 April 2025

Extracts:

• To Serve or Not To Serve

Most of the signatories to that letter are not currently serving in the reserves, Ynet noted

The letters have not called for a general refusal to serve but have sparked outrage in the government, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissing them as “noisy” anarchists

By not calling for a general refusal to serve, the recent wave of letters contrasts with statements released before the war protesting the government’s judicial overhaul plan

Those statements saw several groups of reservists, including from the IAF say they would refuse to serve under a regime they no longer viewed as democratic, with some refusing to report for duty when called upon in the months before the war
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023
They include the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF

Hamas released 30 hostages — 20 Israeli civilians, five soldiers and five Thai nationals — and the bodies of eight slain Israeli captives during a ceasefire between January and March

The terror group freed 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023 and four hostages were released before that in the early weeks of the war
In exchange, Israel has freed some 2,000 jailed Palestinian terrorists, security prisoners and Gazan terror suspects detained during the war

Eight hostages have been rescued from captivity by troops alive, and the bodies of 41 have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors and the body of a soldier who was killed in 2014

The body of another soldier killed in 2014 Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, is still being held by Hamas and is counted among the 59 hostages

Trump envoy quietly met Israeli officials ahead of Iran nuclear talks
Axios by Barak David 19 April 2025

Extracts:

• Why it matters

Ron Dermer and David Barnea, Israel's strategic affairs minister and the director of the Mossad intelligence agency, slipped into Paris for the low-profile meeting with Witkoff to try to influence the US position ahead of the second round of talks in Rome on Saturday

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is concerned the US will reach a deal with Iran that's similar to the one the Obama administration signed in 2015 and President Trump himself abandoned

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office and a spokesperson for Witkoff declined to comment
Witkoff was in Paris for meetings on Russia and Ukraine before traveling to Rome for the Iran talks

Between the lines:

• During those meetings, Witkoff stressed that the Trump administration's goal on Iran is to resolve the nuclear crisis through diplomatic means
• and ensure Iran will no longer enrich uranium
• Netanyahu and other hawks want a deal to eliminate Iran's nuclear program entirely — or else a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities

Trump, who initially set a two-month deadline for the negotiations, said on Thursday that he is in no rush to move forward with a military strike because he believes Iran "wants to talk"

Trump envoy quietly met Israeli officials ahead of Iran nuclear talks
Axios by Barak David 19 April 2025

Extracts:

• The other side

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Witkoff's counterpart in the talks, will arrive in Rome on Friday after a visit to Moscow, during which Araghchi met with President Vladimir Putin and discussed the negotiations with the US

Although Russia is not directly involved in the talks, the Iranians are seeking Russian support, including potentially to press their case with Trump

Araghchi said on Friday,
Araghchi added that the US showed seriousness in the first round of talks but said Iran hears "conflicting messages" from the US in public and in private
Araghchi added that a deal can be reached if the US doesn't present "unrealistic demands"
One of those demands, Araghchi said, was that Iran completely halt uranium enrichment

What to watch

• The second round of talks on Saturday will be held at the Omani embassy in Rome
• They are expected to start around 5am ET and last at least five hours
• The US wants the second round of talks to end with a framework for the next steps in the negotiations

Trump envoy quietly met Israeli officials ahead of Iran nuclear talks
Axios by Barak David 19 April 2025

Extracts:

• US-Iran nuclear talks held in Rome as Trump backs diplomacy over strike

A second round of US-Iran nuclear talks wrapped up in Rome after four hours on Saturday, with President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leading the delegations

• Why it matters

The talks took place with debate still raging within the Trump administration — and between the US and Israel — over whether diplomacy or military strikes are more likely to prevent Tehran from obtaining a bomb

For now, Trump is holding back the hawks, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and focusing on getting a deal

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday,

From: The Times of Israel April 16, 2025

Iran: Trump denounced and abandoned in his first term, the nuclear 2015 deal agreement JCPOA he inherited.
He claimed, his planned new deal would be “different and maybe a lot stronger.”

The president blithely asserted on Monday, two days after Witkoff held a first round of talks with the Iranians, that:
1. “We’ve got a problem with Iran. I’ll solve that problem.
2. It’s almost an easy one.” “It’s really simple,”

Trump went on to declare: “They can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

But it’s not “really simple.”
This regime in Iran not only “can’t have a nuclear weapon.” It also cannot have the means to attain one. Ever.

The jack-of-all-trades negotiator Witkoff, hitherto unfamiliar with the specifics of Iran’s decades-old rogue nuclear program, does not appear to recognize this, or even to recognize who and what he’s dealing with — untenably cramming:
1. the talks with Iran into his calendar
2. while also still overseeing Gaza negotiations
3. and the Russia-Ukraine war

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei soberly pronounced on Tuesday that the order of the day was neither exaggerated optimism nor extreme pessimism, while doubtless laughing into his beard at the arrogant amateurism of those Americans.

Iran reportedly offered US a nuclear agreement with the same enrichment cap as the 2015 deal that Trump denounced and abandoned in his first term.

Iran, whose leaders are sworn to destroy Israel, says it does not seek nuclear weapons, but has since December increased by about half its already sizable stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium, and is on track to roughly quadruple its production of uranium ore this year, according to international nuclear watchdogs.

Russia-Ukraine: Day 1,152
The promises made by presidential candidates are often felled by the realities of governing.

Ending Russia’s war in Ukraine was one of Donald Trump’s boastful campaign promises, and one that he famously boasted could be achieved in 24 hours.
But three months after taking office, war still raging on.

Moscow has created obstacles, deployed delaying tactics and has generally muddied the waters despite numerous meetings between senior Russian and US officials, and phone conversations where Trump and his Russian counterpart, BFF Vladimir Putin, have spoken directly.

Don't know... ineffective No "Art of the Deal" No more Midas touch

genocidal terrorists Hamas terror: Day 563
Trump's Loud but Empty Threats Fail to Shape Policy as Middle East Reignites

Those threatened by Trump – Hamas, Houthis, Gazans, Iran, Jordan, and Egypt – clearly see his warnings as empty words.
Rather than settling conflicts, the US president has merely given all sides free rein

Hamas dismissed Trump's threat, warning 'all hell will break out' if Hamas doesn't release hostages — Hamas didn't and No hell unleashed.

They brushed off President Donald Trump's latest threat and reiterated that it will only free the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The leader of the world’s superpower, Israel’s vital, existential ally, attempting to better understand the barbaric, cynical and pernicious enemy which requires a fundamental reminder or reevaluation of man’s capacity for evil.

An enemy that invaded sovereign Israel on October 7, 2023 — from the territory it completely controlled and from which Israel had completely withdrawn — to slaughter 1,200 people and abduct 252 because they were Jewish or connected to the Jewish people.

But given the US president’s power and influence, it was also highly disturbing to watch him still struggling to make sense of the enemy, or rather one of the enemies, that Israel is up against, and of the nature of the terror threat they pose to Israel, to US and humanity.

Trump came into office admirably promising to end wars rather than start them.
But that can’t be done, and won’t be done, unless or until he grasps the scale of the challenge — and realizes the terrorists are no small potatoes.

One of the many...


Papal Double standards and Hypocrisy: avoiding condemnation of genocidal terrorists Hamas' terror but always singling out and criticizing Democratic Israel


Ukraine: The Pope urged Ukraine to "have the courage of the white flag" but avoided criticizing the aggressor Russia

Few of the many...

From: The Times of Israel April 21, 2025

Jewish groups mourn Pope Francis, ‘friend of the Jewish people,’ but some are critical
Some voices take issue with the late leader of the Catholic Church over his statements condemning Israeli actions in its war in Gaza

Jewish organizations around the world responded to the death of Pope Francis on Monday, with many honoring him for advancing the Catholic Church’s relationship with Israel and the Jewish people, while some criticized him, particularly for his statements condemning Israel’s actions during the war in Gaza.

The pope, as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, was usually careful about taking sides in conflicts, but had recently been more outspoken about Israel’s military campaign against Hamas.

His condemnation of Israeli airstrikes during his annual Christmas address last December was received with fury by Israel, which accused him of maintaining “double standards.”

World Jewish Congress president Ronald Lauder lauded Pope Francis as “a true moral leader, a man of deep faith and humanity, and a steadfast friend to the Jewish people.” However, he said, regarding Francis’s comments about Israel, “There were moments of difficulty, particularly in recent months.”

The American Jewish Committee noted that Francis “repeatedly condemned antisemitism and characterized it as both a sin against God and un-Christian.” Regarding Francis’s response to the war in Gaza, the AJC statement treaded lightly.

UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis responded to Pope Francis’s death without commenting on his legacy.

The Jerusalem Post April 22, 2025

Pope Francis’s moral compass faltered on Israel
From the very beginning of his papacy, Francis struck a markedly different tone toward the Jewish state than toward its adversaries.

Pope Francis will be remembered for many things:
1. his humility, his compassion for the poor living in Vatican Palace
2. his gentle demeanor,
3. and his tireless calls for peace in a fractured world.

He was the first pontiff to take the name “Francis,” in tribute to the saint who championed the poor and the powerless.

And true to that inspiration, he steered the Catholic Church through turbulence — from the European refugee crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic — while taking long-overdue steps toward confronting sexual abuse within its walls.

But on one front, the pope’s moral compass faltered time and again: his relationship with the State of Israel.

The Jerusalem Post April 22, 2025
His 2014 trip to the region was rife with symbolic gestures meant to suggest balance where there was none.

He visited both Yad Vashem and the separation barrier, where a photo showed him resting his head on the wall in a manner similar to pilgrims visiting the Western Wall.

He laid a wreath at the grave of Theodor Herzl, an unprecedented act by a pontiff — but also entered the West Bank not via Israel, but through Jordan, and celebrated Mass in Bethlehem beside Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Later, he would invite Abbas and then-President Shimon Peres to the Vatican for a prayer summit.
That apparent symmetry was soon undermined by clear statements and actions that betrayed a disturbing bias.

In 2015 Francis warmly received Abbas at the Vatican and reportedly called him an “angel of peace” — a truly baffling characterization of a man who
1. has glorified terrorism,
2. funded the families of suicide bombers,
3. and denied the Holocaust.

This statement, carried by many media outlets, was denied by a papal spokesperson.

In the same visit, the Vatican finalized a treaty formally recognizing the “State of Palestine,” a move condemned by Israel as “a hasty step” that undermined peace efforts and ignored Jewish historic rights in Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Post April 22, 2025
Time and again, Israel expressed dismay at the Vatican’s tendency to elevate Palestinian narratives while brushing aside Israeli concerns

Then foreign minister Tzipi Livni put it plainly at the time
“I regret that the Vatican decided to participate in a step that blatantly ignores the history of the Jewish people in Israel and Jerusalem.”

The Vatican’s posture under Francis consistently privileged a politicized version of the Palestinian story over the complex reality on the ground.

Whether during the canonization of two Palestinian nuns in 2015 or in statements following clashes in Jerusalem in 2021 the Holy See often seemed more interested in defending Palestinian identity than acknowledging Israel’s security dilemmas.

The Jerusalem Post April 22, 2025
Criticizing Israel after October 7

Even after Hamas’s October 7 terror massacre, the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, Pope Francis condemned both sides in a manner that was troublingly lopsided.

While he did denounce Hamas’s initial slaughter, he quickly shifted to criticizing Israel’s military response as “cruelty, this is not war.”
He went so far as to call Israeli airstrikes “terrorism” after two Palestinian Christian women were killed in Gaza.

No mention was made, in those same statements,
1. of Hamas’s use of human shields,
2. its embedding in civilian infrastructure, or
3. its well-documented exploitation of churches and hospitals for military purposes.

As Israel’s campaign continued, the pope’s rhetoric intensified.
In November 2024 he openly questioned whether Israel’s military campaign constituted a genocide.

The Jerusalem Post April 22, 2025
One of his final public addresses, read aloud on Easter Sunday due to illness, described the situation in Gaza as “dramatic and deplorable.”

He called for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, yes — but
1. the criticism of Israel was clear and constant,
2. while Hamas’s atrocities were diluted into vague moral equivalence.

To his credit, Francis did call on Hamas to release the hostages and condemned antisemitism in his final Easter message.
But these gestures felt obligatory, coming after months of slanted commentary and silence on Hamas’s continued aggression.

Even in his calls for peace, the pope too often spoke as if Israel’s existence was incidental to the conflict, rather than fundamental to the peace.

There is a tragic irony in the fact that the pope who sought to open the Catholic Church’s heart to the marginalized, who emphasized humility and reconciliation, struggled in exhibiting the same balance when it came to the world’s only Jewish state.

In the Jewish tradition, we say, “zikhrono livracha” (“May his memory be a blessing”) And in many ways, Pope Francis’s memory will be just that.
But not, sadly, when it comes to Israel.

On that front, history may record him as a missed opportunity —
1. another well-meaning pope who failed to rise above the politics of the moment,
2. and in doing so, lent moral cover to those who seek Israel’s destruction.

Al Jazeera April 22, 2025

Ex-Israeli envoy says Israel should not attend Pope Francis’s funeral. Israel’s former ambassador to Italy, Dror Eydar,
1. has accused the late Pope Francis of antisemitism
2. and called on the Israeli government not to attend the pontiff’s funeral.

Eydar, who held the envoy post from 2019-2022 made the comments in an interview with the Israeli news outlet Maariv.

The pope was “rivalled in the degree of his antisemitism only by Pius XII”, Eydar said, referring to the man who served as the head of the Catholic Church between 1939 and 1958 who he said “was silent” during the Holocaust.

The former diplomat said Francis “accused us of genocide” and talked about the “children in Gaza and not our children”.
Eydar added that the pope “is largely responsible for the rise in waves of antisemitism in the world”.

Israel’s former ambassador to the Vatican echoed some of that criticism.

Raphael Schutz, who served in the role from 2021-2024 told the Kan broadcaster that
1. Francis “ignored” attacks against Israel
2. and “caused suffering” with his defence of Palestinians in Gaza — troublingly lopsided because no defence of Israel