Jewish group calls Pope Francis’ comments on genocide a possible eighth front against Israel

The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) slammed remarks made by Pope Francis, reportedly claiming in a new book that “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide”.

“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,” says CEO of CAM 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. 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 comments are from excerpts published on Sunday from a new forthcoming book where Pope Francis calls for an investigation into whether Israel has committed genocide.

“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.”

Last year, CAM leaders met with Vatican representatives in Israel to offer them seminars on antisemitism which unfortunately were never followed-up on.