FALCON POWERS – The Israeli Embassy to the Vatican issued a protest on Monday after Yemeni Nobel laureate and human rights activist Tawakkol Karman accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza during an event hosted by the Vatican.
The embassy expressed “outrage and shock” at Karman’s remarks, which she made on Saturday during a conference organized by the Fratelli Tutti Foundation established by Pope Francis. Karman, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her role in the Arab Spring uprisings, stated in a speech before the audience in St. Peter’s Square, “The world remains silent in the face of the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
The Israeli Embassy published an open letter on the social media platform X, rejecting Karman’s accusations and describing them as “lies.” They added, “She has grossly desecrated the holy site with an anti-Semitic speech.”
The letter continued, “We regret that such a speech was delivered without anyone feeling the moral duty to intervene and stop this disgrace.”
After mentioning Gaza, Karman received warm applause from the audience, which included fellow Nobel laureates, politicians, and officials from the Church. The Pope himself was not present.
Relations between the Vatican and Israel have become increasingly strained since the start of the war in Gaza. Jewish factions have accused Pope Francis of failing to describe the invasion of the Palestinian territory as a defensive action following the attack by Hamas militants on October 7th. In March, the Israeli Embassy to the Vatican criticized Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Foreign Minister, after he accused the Israeli army of causing a “massacre” in Gaza.
Initially, the embassy condemned his statement, calling it “disgraceful.” However, they later stated that it was a translation error and that they meant to say “regrettable.”
