VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV condemned antisemitism while speaking by telephone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog following the Sydney attack.
On December 15, 2025, Pope Leo received a phone call at the Vatican from the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas festivities and the Jewish feast of Hanukkah. During the call, the Pontiff addressed the issue of antisemitism in light of the terrorist attack that took place on Sunday at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
“In light of the recent terrorist attack in Sydney, the Pope reiterated the firm condemnation by the Catholic Church of every form of antisemitism, which throughout the world continues to sow fear within Jewish communities and in society as a whole,” reads the statement released by the Holy See Press Office.
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According to the Vatican, the telephone conversation took place in a cordial atmosphere. Pope Leo XIV encouraged the continuation of the peace processes currently underway in the Middle East and stressed the urgency of intensifying and continuing humanitarian efforts, particularly in light of the situation in the Gaza Strip, where, after the war, serious difficulties linked to hunger, cold, and severe weather conditions are being recorded.
The phone call followed public statements already made by the Pontiff in the immediate aftermath of the Sydney attack. During the audience on Monday, 15 December, the Pope expressed closeness to the Jewish community and sorrow for the victims and the wounded, stating: “Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence! We must eliminate hatred from our hearts.”
On the same day, in a telegram addressed to the archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, the Pope described the attack as a “senseless act of violence” and asked that those who are tempted by violence “convert and seek the path of peace and solidarity.”
The Bondi Beach attack occurred on Sunday, December 14, during Hanukkah celebrations of the local Jewish community. Two armed men, identified as a father and son, opened fire on the crowd gathered on the beach, killing 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, and wounding approximately 40 others. One of the attackers was killed by law enforcement. According to Australian authorities, about 20 of the injured were discharged from hospital in the days following the attack.
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In the international context, the phone call between the Pope and the Israeli president comes at a delicate phase for the Middle East. According to reports from the World Health Organization and various agencies operating on the ground, a health emergency is underway in the Gaza Strip, with overcrowded hospitals and growing difficulties in treating the wounded and the sick.
Direct relations between Pope Leo XIV and President Isaac Herzog had already been established in previous months. On September 4, Herzog was received in a private audience by the Pope, a meeting which, according to statements made by the Israeli president himself at the conclusion of the visit, represented “a very important signal” of the significance of the relationship between the Holy See, the state of Israel, and the Jewish people.
During his discussions with the Pope, the Vatican Secretary of State, and the Secretary for Relations with States, Herzog reported that he had first and foremost addressed the need to free the hostages still being held in Gaza following the attacks of October 7.
The talks also covered humanitarian aid for the civilian population of Gaza, Israeli efforts to facilitate its delivery, the joint fight against antisemitism, broader developments in the Middle East, and the need for deepened interfaith dialogue.
During the meeting, the Israeli president finally underscored the importance of Christian communities in Israel and in the region, reaffirmed the commitment of the Jewish state to guarantee freedom of religion and worship, and the protection of Christian communities in the Holy Land, and extended an official invitation to the Pontiff to visit Israel.
