Goa, April 26 -- Christians in Israel have expressed strong outrage over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of Pope Francis' death, formally submitting a letter of protest on Friday. The Forum of Christians in the Holy Land, representing "hundreds of Christian citizens of Israel," condemned the Foreign Ministry's failure to issue an official condolence message, calling the omission "disrespectful to Christians in Israel and around the world." The forum also highlighted the Christian community's vital contributions to Israeli society across medicine, education, academia, technology, public service, and culture, and urged the government to safeguard its status and role.

The protest followed controversy just after the Foreign Mini...