Pope Benedict XVI had his work cut out for him when he arrived in the Holy Land. His childhood Hitler Youth membership and his Wehrmacht service during World War II have sowed deep discomfort in a country where the Holocaust still feels like recent memory. Disappointment over his reinstatement of Bishop Richard Williamson, an unabashed Shoah denier, further contributed to the close scrutiny to which his words, particularly at Yad Vashem, have been subjected.
Was Israelis' disappointment in the Pope's remarks here inevitable? Perhaps. But the Vatican's defense of Benedict XVI, saying that "he can't mention everything every time he speaks," illustrated how completely the Holy See misunderstood what Israelis had hoped to hear.
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Tag: christianity
Pope Benedict’s Missed Opportunity
Posted by Daniel Gordis in Featured Articles on May 13, 2009 | Leave a comment
Pope Benedict XVI had his work cut out for him when he arrived in the Holy Land. His childhood Hitler Youth membership and his Wehrmacht service during World War II have sowed deep discomfort in a country where the Holocaust still feels like recent memory. Disappointment over his reinstatement of Bishop Richard Williamson, an unabashed Shoah denier, further contributed to the close scrutiny to which his words, particularly at Yad Vashem, have been subjected.
Was Israelis' disappointment in the Pope's remarks here inevitable? Perhaps. But the Vatican's defense of Benedict XVI, saying that "he can't mention everything every time he speaks," illustrated how completely the Holy See misunderstood what Israelis had hoped to hear.
...
Dr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President of the Shalem Center, where he is also a senior fellow. The author of numerous books on Jewish thought and currents in Israel...
The Jewish State must end, say its enemies, from intellectuals like Tony Judt to hate-filled demagogues like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Even average Israelis are wondering if they wouldn't be better off somewhere else. 
