On September 4, 2025, the Vatican became the stage for one of the most closely watched encounters of the year. Pope Leo XIV welcomed Israeli President Isaac Herzog for a private audience that stretched beyond protocol into the heart of one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.
The meeting came at a volatile moment. Gaza bleeds under a war that has claimed countless lives, Jerusalem remains a city of unresolved tensions, and Christian communities in the Holy Land feel increasingly fragile. Into this landscape, the Pope reaffirmed a principle that has long guided the Holy See’s vision: the two-state solution remains the only viable road toward peace.
The Vatican’s unusually detailed communiqué underscored the urgency. It spoke of hostages whose freedom cannot wait, of a permanent ceasefire that must be reached, and of humanitarian aid too often blocked at checkpoints of suspicion. The text echoed a familiar refrain of papal diplomacy—international law and human dignity must not be trampled in the dust of war.
For Herzog, the visit was not merely symbolic. His office emphasized Israel’s commitment to the safety of Christian communities, a point made more urgent by the July 17 strike on Gaza’s only Catholic parish, an incident that drew sharp condemnation from the Vatican and left three dead, among them parishioners who had sought refuge. The president’s promise to protect the faithful was a message directed as much to Rome as to Christians in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the broader region.
Read more: https://zenit.org/2025/09/06/between-gaza-and-jerusalem-pope-leo-xiv-and-israels-herzog-navigate-fragile-paths-to-peace/
By VALENTINA DI GIORGIO | ZENIT
