On the afternoon of December 17, 2025, Leo XIV received a phone call from Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the Vatican announced. Three days after the antisemitic attack in Sydney, the Pope reaffirmed the “Catholic Church's firm condemnation of all forms of antisemitism.”
Three months after their meeting at the Vatican, the Pope and Isaac Herzog spoke by phone. Leo XIV denounced antisemitism and called for peace and aid.
Three months after his visit to the Vatican, Isac Herzog contacted Pope Leo XIV by telephone on the occasion of the Christmas and Jewish Hanukkah holidays, the Holy See Press Office said Wednesday afternoon.
“During the conversation, in light of the recent terrorist attack in Sydney, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Catholic Church's firm condemnation of all forms of antisemitism, which continues to sow fear among Jewish communities and throughout society around the world,” the statement said.
On Monday, the Pope spoke out following the killing of 15 people by a man and his son during a Jewish holiday.
“Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence! We must eliminate hatred from our hearts,” he said during an audience at the Vatican.
Seeking a peaceful solution
In their conversation, the Pope also discussed the Israeli-Palestinian situation. He renewed his call for “perseverance in the various ongoing peace processes in the region, and emphasized the urgency of intensifying and continuing efforts in the area of humanitarian aid.”
On September 4, the Pope received the Israeli president at the Vatican. During the audience, the pontiff addressed the “tragic situation” in Gaza, insisting on the importance of guaranteeing “a future for the Palestinian people” by promoting a two-state solution, “the only way out of the ongoing war.”
The president assured him that Israel was committed to ensuring the safety of Christians in the Middle East.
