For months, Pope Francis has rhetorically walked a fine line regarding the Israel-Hamas War, using platitudes, abstracts, and metaphors to convey his concerns. But this period of nonalignment may be over. In a new book, Pope Francis has stirred controversy by calling for an investigation to determine if Israel’s military response in Gaza amounts to “genocide.” Predictably, the Pope nuanced these remarks, saying, “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide.” He stops just short saying that he himself believes it to be genocide, but his intended message is as clear as it is abhorrently wrong. Placing a question mark at the end of a controversial statement does not absolve one of the implications that statement carries with it.
Genocide is a weighty charge that should not be made in vain. According to Article II of the United Nations Genocide Convention, a genocide involves committing acts with the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” One should be prepared to support, with convincing evidence, an accusation of this measure, yet Pope Francis has not done so. His statements are not merely unhelpful but will also create new obstacles to a just and lasting peace in Gaza.
Using the term genocide to describe the conflict in Gaza is woefully detached from the reality on the ground. While the destruction and loss of life is tragic and shocking, it does not come anywhere close to genocide. Israel is seeking the destruction of Hamas – a terrorist organization, not the Palestinian people at large. The case for labeling Israel’s military response a genocide rests on two separate and false assumptions. First, that Israel is indiscriminately targeting civilians, and second, that Israel is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza. Both are egregious lies.
Last month I visited Israel and traveled to the Gaza envelope, the area within just a few miles of the border, where I saw firsthand how the conflict has evolved since it began just over a year ago. Visible to me was the brutality Hamas has wrought upon their own population. The terror group constantly uses civilians as human shields by preventing their safe evacuation from areas facing imminent attack and routinely steals humanitarian aid to sell it to starving civilians in order to pay and equip their own fighters. Also apparent were the great lengths to which Israel goes to precisely target terrorist combatants, minimize civilian casualties, and safely deliver truckloads of humanitarian aid across the border despite the dangerous conditions. Israel takes these extraordinary measures sometimes bitterly and reluctantly, knowing that its own restraint is likely prolonging the war and further endangering their own troops. Yet Israel does so anyway, because conduct within war must be as just as the cause itself. Israel’s deliberate and precise use of force coupled with their remarkable humanitarian efforts are proof that their campaign operates under strict conditions of a just war, not the genocidal tendencies Pope Francis may be insinuating.
Pope Francis’ false characterizations bestow unwarranted credibility on Hamas and their international sympathizers who have worked against peace at every turn. It isn’t a coincidence that the unnamed “experts” Pope Francis referenced are more often than not, the same people that attempt to justify and rationalize Hamas’ barbaric attack on October 7th. These individuals have for decades undermined not only Israel’s right to self-defense, but also its legitimacy as a sovereign state. Pope Francis then defers to “technical definitions formulated by jurists and international bodies” to determine Israel’s guilt. By casting aspersions and then passing the administration of justice onto an unqualified authority, Pope Francis distances himself from the impact of his words. Meanwhile, it is these international bodies that – at the beckoning of bad faith actors – have rewritten international definitions, laws and norms to undermine Israel’s existence. With biases so prevalent, these bodies could hardly be called upon to act as objective arbiters of justice.
Ultimately, what is most disheartening about Pope Francis’ remarks is that he knows better. It is Hamas, not Israel who is guilty of genocidal acts. In fact, Hamas’s genocidal attacks are so brazen, that no formal investigation is warranted. Simply look at Hamas’ own words and actions. The 1988 Hamas Covenant calls for the killing of Jews. On October 7th, Hamas did just that and filmed it for the world to see. The Vatican, while officially neutral, has a vital role to play in international affairs and geopolitics. Popes throughout the ages have wielded considerable influence on the world around them, with positive outcomes.
Pope Francis, as the leader of the world’s largest Christian church, must recognize the horrible irony of accusing Jews, the victims of the most horrific genocide in living memory, of being themselves perpetrators of genocide. His comparison of Israel’s military response to genocide, minimizes the suffering of real genocide victims, like those in the Holocaust and the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
The only responsible party for the destruction of Gaza and the deaths of many civilians is Hamas. But Pope Francis’ statements fail to reflect this reality. The Pope has a responsibility to promote peace and justice, a task which is only possible by conveying the truth. Unfortunately, his recent remarks do just the opposite. Lending credence to accusations of genocide by Israel will do little to help alleviate the suffering of those affected by the conflict. Instead, it will likely only prolong the war by decreasing international pressure on Hamas, the belligerent aggressor.
Catholics around the world have a responsibility to respect the authority of the Pope and must do so faithfully. At the same time, Catholics must also not fail to criticize him when circumstances warrant it. In this case, Pope Francis’ erroneous statements could be gravely devastating to the cause of peace and justice. Pope Francis should recognize that the war in Gaza is a moment where the Church can provide a leading a voice for that just peace. I hope and pray he has not missed that moment.