Israel Joins Catholic World in ‘heavy Grief’ over Pope John’s Death

President Zalman Shazar, in a cable to the Vatican today, declared that the people of Israel and he personally joined in the “heavy grief” of the Catholic world over the death of Pope John XXIII.

“The Pope’s life was consecrated to the advancement of mutual understanding and the establishment of world peace,” the President declared. “The Pope’s positive measures to eradicate hatred will be engraved as a testimonial of his attitude toward Jews and will live in the memory of our people.”

Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim described the death of Pope John XXIII last night as a “bitter blow” not only to Christendom but also to “lovers of peace and mankind” throughout the world.

Dr. Zorach Warhaftig, the Israel Minister for Religious Affairs, said that the Pope had been “one of the truly righteons men of the world with a liberal spirit and respect for mankind which he extended not only to the Christian community but also to the Jewish people.”

“The sympathy he showed for the plight of the Jews during the terrible years of the holocaust was continued when he was elected Pope and saw to the excision front the Catholic liturgy of passages long offensive to Jews,” Dr. Warhaftig added. “Blessed be his memory.”

Press comment on the Pope’s death stressed his liberalism and love for mankind. One editorial said that “Jews will especially remember this Pope who took practical steps to wipe away some of the anachronistic remnants of medieval anti-Semitism.” Another editorial recalled the Pope’s activities as Papal Nuncio in Turkey during the war years to counteract Nazi decrees in the Balkans and in saving many Jewish lives.