Pope Francis’ Controversial Shift on Israel Draws Global Attention

In the final chapter of his papacy, Pope Francis’s position on Israel underwent a controversial shift, drawing sharp criticism from faith leaders and Jewish organizations around the world. Once seen as a unifying figure seeking peace in Jerusalem, his later remarks and symbolic acts raised concerns about historical distortion and political bias.

One of the most striking moments came in December 2024, when a nativity scene displayed in St. Peter’s Square portrayed baby Jesus wrapped in a Palestinian keffiyeh. The display, titled Nativity of Bethlehem 2024, was crafted by two artists from Bethlehem. Its message was unmistakable and deeply divisive.

“The Pope can’t rewrite the Bible,” said Laurie Cardoza-Moore, President of Proclaiming Justice to The Nations. “Jesus was a Jew from Judea, not a Palestinian. He was born to a Jewish mother in Bethlehem there was no Palestine.”

The keffiyeh-wrapped baby Jesus wasn’t just a symbolic departure from tradition; for many, it represented a broader trend of politicizing the gospel and erasing Jewish identity even that of Jesus himself.

The pope’s rhetoric escalated further in November, when he questioned whether Israel’s military campaign against Hamas could be considered genocide. In excerpts from a forthcoming book, he cited unnamed “international experts” and urged the global community to “investigate carefully” whether Israel’s actions met the legal definition.

This marked a dramatic departure from Pope Francis’s earlier posture toward Israel, which included a 2014 visit to the Western Wall where he wrote a heartfelt message quoting Psalms and Isaiah: “Let us go to the house of the Lord... They shall beat their swords into plowshares.”

For many observers, the contrast between past and present is stark. What began as a papacy grounded in calls for peace, unity, and dialogue has, in its final months, veered toward a rhetorical alignment with groups that distort history and undermine Israel’s right to defend itself.

And as antisemitism rises worldwide especially on university campuses and across Europe words and symbols from the Vatican carry weight far beyond religious ritual. When baby Jesus is depicted in Palestinian garb and Israel is likened to perpetrators of genocide, it doesn’t just rewrite theology it emboldens false narratives and inflames ancient prejudices.

In the end, the legacy of any leader is measured by their moral clarity. For the Jewish people and supporters of Israel, clarity is not found in keffiyehs or cryptic condemnations it is found in truth.

Help defend historical truth and stand with Israel share this article or subscribe to our newsletter for more critical updates from the heart of the Jewish world.