Pope Leo XIV Speaks with Israeli President Herzog by Phone about Sydney Attack and Emphasized Urgency of Humanitarian Aid for Holy Land Region

Pope Leo XIV received a phone call from the Israeli president ahead of Christmas and the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. In light of Sunday's attack on Bondi Beach, the Pope reiterated his condemnation of all anti-Semitic violence and expressed his hope that "peace processes will persevere" in the region and that humanitarian aid efforts will continue and intensify.

Pope Leo renewed his condemnation of all forms of anti-Semitism—a condemnation he already expressed in the aftermath of the Sydney attack against the Jewish community—in a telephone conversation on Dec. 17, with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The Pontiff renewed his appeal to Herzog to "persevere in the ongoing peace processes" in the Middle East and to intensify humanitarian efforts, especially in light of the situation in Gaza, where, after the war, hunger, cold, and severe weather are now claiming lives.

A statement from the Holy See Press Office announced that the Pope "received a phone call" from the Israeli leader "on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas holidays and the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah." The so-called "Festival of Lights" was being celebrated on Sunday, December 14, by Sydney's Jewish community on the famous Bondi Beach when two gunmen, a father and son (one of whom was killed by police), opened fire on the crowd, killing fifteen people, including a 10-year-old girl, and wounding 40 others. About twenty of them have already been released from the hospital.

"In light of the recent terrorist attack in Sydney," the Vatican statement reads, "Leo XIV reiterated the Catholic Church's firm condemnation of all forms of anti-Semitism, which continues to sow fear in Jewish communities and throughout society throughout the world." The Pontiff had already expressed closeness to the Jewish community and sorrow for the victims and injured during Monday's audience with the donors of the nativity scene and the Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square. In the same speech, he also launched an appeal: "Enough of these forms of anti-Semitic violence! We must eliminate hatred from our hearts." Then, in a telegram addressed to Archbishop Anthony Fisher, published the same day as the audience, Pope Leo deplored this "senseless act of violence" and asked that those "tempted by violence convert and seek the path of peace and solidarity." “His Holiness prays for the healing of those still recovering as well as consolation for those grieving the loss of a loved one,” said the telegram Cardinal Parolin sent in the pope’s name.

Another appeal from the Pope characterized today's phone call with the President of Israel: "to persevere in the peace processes underway in the region, also emphasizing the urgency of intensifying and continuing humanitarian aid efforts." Vatican News (It) wrote: According to reports from the WHO and several local agencies, an emergency is underway in the Gaza Strip, with numerous deaths and dozens of injuries, who are finding it extremely difficult to receive treatment in local hospitals, many of which are overcrowded. In spite of a "ceasefire" agreement reached in October, Israel continues to bomb areas in Gaza, according to the United Nations, other news accounts, and video testimony from the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza. In addition, the U.N. aid office said Dec. 15 that it and other humanitarian organizations were experiencing difficulties transporting relief supplies into Gaza and that winter storms were worsening the “already dire living conditions for displaced families.”

During an audience with the Israeli president, the situation in the Middle East was analyzed, particularly the tragedy in the Gaza Strip. 

This is the second direct contact between Pope Leo and Isaac Herzog, following the audience in the Vatican Apostolic Palace on September 4, 2025. This private conversation was followed by one in the Secretariat of State, during which the political and social situation in the Middle East was addressed, with particular attention to the tragic situation in Gaza and reference to what is happening in the West Bank and the important question of the City of Jerusalem.

Source: Edited from Vatican News Italian

FULL TEXT STATEMENT about the Call from the Holy See: 

This afternoon, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received a telephone call from His Excellency Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel, on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas holidays and of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

During the conversation, in light of the recent terrorist attack in Sydney, the Holy Father reiterated the Catholic Church’s firm condemnation of all forms of antisemitism, which, throughout the world, continues to sow fear in Jewish communities and in society as a whole.

Moreover, the Holy Father renewed his appeal 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.

https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2025/12/17/0996/01806.html