Spat between Rabbis and Bishops in South Africa as Rabbi attacks Pope

In a recent social media video, Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein of South Africa accused Pope Francis of “colluding with the forces of evil” for his stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict. The country’s bishops have now countered these claims, asserting that Goldstein’s accusations lack truth, objectivity, and carry an air of mistrust and character assassination.

The dispute stems from a late November report in the Washington Post, detailing a phone conversation between Pope Francis and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. In response, Chief Rabbi Goldstein posted a video on YouTube, alleging that the Pope equated Israel’s self-defense to the actions of Hamas when the Pope allegedly stated in a phone conversation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog that, “it is forbidden to respond to terror with terror.”

Goldstein accused the Catholic Church of complicity in the holocaust, and said that they were repeating the same crime for their failure to align with Israel on its security policy regarding Gaza, accusing them of “surreptitiously supporting the forces of evil who seek to annihilate the Jewish people”.

Goldstein accused the Pope of “primitive pacifism” and criticized him for not condemning Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, which, he claimed, could lead to a second holocaust. The video has garnered 116,000 views to date.

In response, the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) published an open letter on December 23, signed by Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka, president of the conference. The bishops emphasized the longstanding relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people, as well as Pope Francis’s commitment to dialogue and cooperation.

The SACBC defended the Pope’s position on the Israel-Gaza conflict, stating that he condemns the disproportionate use of force by Israel but does not condone terrorism. They rejected Goldstein’s portrayal of the Pope as anti-Semitic and reiterated the Pope’s condemnation of the Hamas attack on October 7.

The bishops challenged Goldstein’s claim that the Israeli Army has minimized civilian casualties, citing reports of shelling schools, hospitals, and other civilian structures in Gaza. They criticized Israel’s actions as unjust and incompatible with the criteria of a just war.

The SACBC also lamented the attack on a Catholic church and convent in Gaza by the Israeli Army, where two women were killed by an Israeli Army sniper, highlighting it as an example of the brutality denounced by Pope Francis.

The letter concluded by addressing Goldstein’s criticism of the Pope’s support for a two-state solution, asserting that it aligns with the international consensus and the legitimate aspirations of both peoples.

The bishops offered to meet Chief Rabbi Goldstein personally to further discuss the matter, emphasizing their commitment to dialogue and understanding.