Israeli Officials, Jewish Groups Congratulate New Pope Leo XIV

Israeli officials and Jewish groups offered congratulations on Thursday following the naming of the new leader of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has taken the name Leo XIV. 

The announcement from the Vatican was met with joyous celebration and surprise, with spectators noting Leo’s trailblazing status as the first ever pope from the United States. Individuals and organizations tied to both Israel and the Jewish community expressed hope that Leo would help foster positive relations between Jews and Christians. 

Isaac Herzog, the [resident of Israel, posted a statement on X/Twitter, saying that he hopes to work alongside the pope to strengthen the friendship between Jews and Christians. 

“We look forward to enhancing the relationship between Israel and the Holy See, and strengthening the friendship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land and around the world,” Herzog wrote. 

“May your papacy be one of building bridges and understanding between all faiths and peoples. May we see the immediate and safe return of the hostages still held in Gaza, and a new era of peace in our region and around the world,” Herzog continued.

The Israel Foreign Ministry also issued a congratulatory post on X/Twitter, saying that the organization hopes to forge a strong relationship with the new Catholic leader. 

“We congratulate Cardinal Robert Prevost, Pope Leo XIV — the first American Pope — and Catholics around the world,” the ministry said. “We look forward to working together to further strengthen the relationship between the Jewish state and the Holy See. We hope to welcome you soon to the Holy Land.”

Jewish groups around the world expressed similarly optimistic sentiments about the new pope.

The American Jewish Committee (AJC), an organization that advocates on behalf of the Jewish community in the US, also acknowledged the naming of the new pope. 

“We look forward to a close relationship with Pope Leo XIV as we continue to advance positive Catholic-Jewish relations for the benefit of Catholics, Jews, and all of humanity,” the AJC said. 

The European Jewish Congress (EJC), an organization that advocates on behalf of the Jewish community within Europe, also expressed hope that the new pope would lead with “strength, wisdom, and compassion.”

“We extend our heartfelt wishes for strength, wisdom and compassion as he begins his mission as Supreme Pontiff,” the EJC added. “In an era that calls for moral leadership and unity across communities, we look forward to continuing and deepening the Catholic-Jewish dialogue, based on the Nostra Aetate declaration of 1965, rooted in mutual respect and shared values.”

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) similarly congratulated Leo.

“The WJC’s relationship with the Holy See spans decades and is grounded in a deep, ongoing commitment to interfaith dialogue. This partnership has centered on shared concerns such as the welfare of Jewish and Catholic communities, the fight against antisemitism and hatred, and the defense of religious freedom around the world,” WJC President Ronald Lauder said in a statement. “The WJC looks forward to continuing and deepening this essential dialogue under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV. At a time of global crisis, the importance of this relationship is only heightened.”

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also extended congratulations to the pope, expressing optimism that the new Catholic leader could foster “reconciliation among all faiths.”

“Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV and the Catholic community worldwide. I wish the first Pope from the United States success in fostering hope and reconciliation among all faiths,” Netanyahu said. 

Leo XIV has not publicly expressed his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the ongoing war in Gaza. Relations between Israel and Leo XIV’s predecessor, Pope Francis, became increasingly tense in the months following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel, an attack that started the war in Gaza.

In December, Francis unveiled a nativity scene which featured a depiction of an infant Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh — a traditional Arab headdress that has been repurposed after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel to signal support for the anti-Israel activist movement. Some observers suggested that the scene in St. Peter’s Square — which was titled “Nativity of Bethlehem 2024” and designed by two artists from Bethlehem, Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi — effectively erased Jesus’s Jewish roots. Francis also accused Israel, without evidence, of inflicting a “famine” in Gaza and suggested that the Jewish state’s military tactics could be tantamount to a “genocide.”

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