VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Leo XIV and Israeli President Isaac Herzog met for a private audience on Thursday (Sept. 4) at the Vatican, where they discussed the war in the Holy Land and the importance of achieving peace.
“The talks focused on the political and social situation in the Middle East, where numerous conflicts persist, with particular attention to the tragic situation in Gaza,” read a statement from the Vatican released shortly after the meeting.
The statement said both parties agreed on the need to restart negotiations “to secure the release of all hostages, urgently reach a permanent ceasefire, ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to the hardest-hit areas, and guarantee full respect for humanitarian law as well as the legitimate aspirations of both peoples.”
The conversation, described as “cordial” by the Vatican, also addressed the hope that peace talks take place with “openness, courageous decisions, and the support of the international community.”
This was the second meeting between Leo and Herzog, who also attended the inaugural Mass for the pontiff on May 18.
Leo reiterated the importance of implementing a two-state solution, which the Holy See has supported since the 1970s and which would guarantee the existence of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel. “The talks also touched on how to secure a future for the Palestinian people and on the peace and stability of the region,” the Vatican statement read.
The city of Jerusalem was raised in the conversation, the statement added, as well as developments in the West Bank. The Vatican considers Jerusalem a spiritual capital for all of humanity, while Israel claims complete sovereignty of the city, including East Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel in 1980. Israeli military raids in the West Bank in August wounded dozens of Palestinians, according to reports, and some were detained or displaced.
Leo and Herzog also discussed the “historical value” of relations between Israel and the Holy See, and a “particular emphasis was placed on the importance of Christian communities and their contribution both locally and throughout the Middle East in promoting human and social development, especially in the fields of education, social cohesion, and regional stability,” the statement continued. The only Catholic church in Gaza, the Holy Family Parish, was struck by Israeli operations on July 17, resulting in the death of three people. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, has appealed to Christians to remain in the Holy Land despite the war.
In a post on X, Herzog thanked the pope for the “warm welcome” he received at the Vatican and reiterated his country’s efforts to bring home the remaining hostages taken from Israel in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack and restore peace to “the peoples of the Middle East.”
“The State of Israel is committed to freedom of religion for all faiths, and determined to continue working for peace, tranquility, and stability throughout the region,” he wrote. “Israel is proud of its Christian community and dedicated to ensuring the security and wellbeing of Christian communities in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.”
Herzog praised Leo’s leadership in promoting peace in the world and voiced his support for strengthening the cooperation between Israel and the Holy See in the future.
I am deeply thankful to @Pontifex Pope Leo XIV for the warm welcome today at the Vatican.
Above all else, Israel is striving in every possible way to bring home the hostages held in brutal captivity by Hamas. Israel yearns for a day when the peoples of the Middle East – the… pic.twitter.com/c54qp1CN50
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) September 4, 2025
After the meeting at the Apostolic Palace, Herzog met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations.