Pope condemns terror everywhere except in Israel
Photo: AFP
What about Israel?
Pope condemns on Sunday terrorism in Iraq, Egypt, Turkey and Britain, but leaves out Israel; Foreign Ministry sources, 'This is legitimizing the murder of Jews'
JERUSALEM - Papal envoy to Israel Archbishop Pietro Sambi was summoned to the Foreign Ministry where officials registered their displeasure at the statements of Pope Benedict XXVI.
Foreign Ministry officials expressed outrage over the exclusion: "The evasion of the pope begs a response. Besides the assault on morality, the matter cannot be interpreted as anything but the justification as terror against Jews."
The pope on Sunday condemned terrorism in Iraq, Egypt, Turkey and Britain, but leaves out the suicide bombing in Netanya.
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The sources also said that the pope's words would strengthen the hands of radicals.
"We hoped the new pope, who talked about relations between the church and the Jewish people," said the officials.
"We expected that the pope would call for dialogue among the three religions that recognize Abraham as their father and would criticize terror that has brutally struck Jews when criticizing terror that has affected others."
Sambi met with Nimrod Barkan for a few hours; the papal envoy did not say how the Vatican answered or planned to answer the charge.
