Israeli President Isaac Herzog will be received at the Vatican on Thursday, September 4, by Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. The Israeli presidency and the Holy See Press Office announced the meeting on September 2, 2025.
The Israeli politician, who was at Pope Leo XIV's installation Mass, will meet with the Pope and the Vatican secretary of state.
The Israeli head of state, who greeted the new pope at the end of his installation Mass on May 18, will return to the Vatican “at the Pope's invitation,” according to the Israeli presidency's spokesperson.
President Herzog, who will make a day trip to Rome, will be received by Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican at around 10 a.m. He will then meet with Cardinal Parolin and visit the Vatican archives and library.
Among the topics on the agenda for the visit, the Israeli presidency mentions “the release of hostages, the fight against anti-Semitism worldwide, [and] the protection of Christian communities in the Middle East,” as well as discussions “on other political issues.”
Tense relations between the Holy See and Israel
At the end of Pope Francis' pontificate, relations between Israel and the Holy See had become tense due to the Argentine pontiff's statements regarding the war in Gaza. At Francis' funeral on April 26, the Jewish state was represented only by its ambassador. On the other hand, the presence of President Herzog at the installation mass of Leo XIV on May 18 was seen as a sign of attentiveness to the first US-born pontiff.
Then in July, Pope Leo XIV expressed “deep sorrow” after the Israeli bombing of the only Catholic parish in Gaza.
The attack left three people dead and several wounded, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. The Pope spoke by telephone with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for the release of the hostages and an end to “the barbarity of war.”
A president sometimes at odds with his prime minister
Israel is ruled by a parliamentary system, and most of the executive power is held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is therefore the main decision-maker in Israel's current war in the Gaza Strip.
President Herzog, whose role is essentially limited to international representation, distanced himself from his prime minister last March by declaring himself “deeply troubled” by the resumption of the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
“It is inconceivable to send our sons to the front while at the same time pursuing controversial moves that deepen division within the people,” the president said in a rare public expression of disagreement with the head of government. “It is impossible to renew the fighting to fulfill the sacred obligation to bring back the hostages, and at the same time not listen to and support their desperate families who are going through hell on earth,” he added, according to The Times of Israel.
Nevertheless, on July 23, during a visit to the Gaza Strip, President Herzog said that Israeli operations were being conducted “in accordance with international law” and that the poor conduct of humanitarian aid operations was due to “Hamas and its supporters.”
