SUPPLEMENT TO ARCHIVE UPDATE 219C
July 26, 2005
In the end, when push comes to shove, the Vatican will choose to not support the Jews in the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble.” The following article from Ha’aretz by the Associated Press will no doubt be labeled an “oversight” by the Vatican, and it may well have been, but the support for Israel is eroding and, when Israel is attacked from the north to begin “Jacob’s Trouble,” it can anticipate no support from the Vatican.
Israel criticizes Pope for failing to condemn terror attacks
July 26, 2005
By The Associated Press
The Vatican envoy was summoned to the Foreign Ministry Monday as Israel expressed its outrage that Pope Benedict XVI failed to condemn terror against Israelis.
On Sunday the pontiff prayed for God to stop the “murderous hand” of terrorists, during his noontime blessing delivered from his Alpine retreat in Italy’s northwestern Valle d’Aosta region, w here
he is vacationing.
Benedict referred to the recent “abhorrent terrorist attacks” in Egypt, Britain, Turkey and Iraq but did not mention attacks in Israel.
“The pope deliberately failed to condemn the terrible terror attack that occurred in Israel last week,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.
A July 12 suicide bombing in the seaside city of Netanya killed five Israelis.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.
“We expected that the new pope, who on taking office emphasized the importance he places on relations between the Church and the Jewish people, would behave differently,” the statement said.
The statement called on the pope to condemn attacks “against Jews in the same way he condemns terror attacks against others.”