Representing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Harriet P. Schleifer and William C. Daroff wrote a letter to Pope Francis in which they accuse him of fueling antisemitism due to his mild denunciations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
Dated December 30, the letter reads, in part,
We appreciate and share your concern for the suffering of innocent civilians and desire to spread peace and compassion around the world. However, statements you have made including, “Yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war,” only serve to distort Israel’s legitimate military campaign and fuel antisemitism and unjust targeting of the Jewish state.
Coincidentally, the following day, December 31, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) produced a report concluding that, “Israel’s pattern of deadly attacks on and near hospitals in Gaza, and associated combat, have pushed the healthcare system to the brink of total collapse, with catastrophic effect on Palestinians’ access to health and medical care.”
That same day, December 31, eight Israeli lawmakers urged “the military to intensify the genocide in Gaza by destroying any possible sources of energy, food, and water in the territory,” as reported by Mondoweiss.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s death toll has risen to 45,885.
