Pope Leo XIV and President Isaac Herzog spoke on the phone earlier, their respective offices say, to mark the holidays of Passover and Easter.
During the call, the Vatican says the pope urged Herzog to “reopen all paths of dialogue” to end the Iran war, which began with a joint US-Israeli offensive on February 28.
The pope, who has emerged as a sharp critic of the regional conflict, also urged Herzog to protect civilians and promote respect for international and humanitarian law, the Vatican adds.
In its own readout of the call, Herzog’s office says the two discussed recent Iranian missile attacks on Jerusalem “that fell in the area of sites holy to Christians, Muslims and Jews.”
The two also discussed the situation in Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the Hezbollah terror group after it joined the Iran war, focusing on “the importance of the safety and security of Christian communities on both sides of the border,” Herzog’s office says.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Friday, April 3, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
