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The Pope Benedict I knew: A keeper of his faith with a deep respect for Judaism
(JTA) — I was first introduced to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later to become Pope Benedict XVI, in the late 1980s when he was visiting Jerusalem. Teddy Kollek, mayor of Jerusalem, was eager for me to meet with the cardinal, telling me that I would discover a very different person from the image portrayed in the general media. He was so correct.
That image was in no small part the result of Pope John Paul II having made him the head of the Vatican Office for Doctrine and Faith, to enforce orthodox Catholic teaching. In addition, the fact that Ratzinger was a shy man with a professorial background and attitude often led people to see him as aloof and even cold.
He could not have been more different. I discovered a man of warmth and humor whose company was enjoyable and stimulating. Most significant for me was the discovery of the depth of his respect for Judaism and the Jewish people, something that always impressed me in the course of more than a dozen encounters with him when he was Pope, most of which were in my capacity as the American Jewish Committee’s international director of interreligious affairs.
He always reiterated his commitment to continuing the path of his predecessor in advancing Catholic-Jewish relations, and he highlighted the unique relationship between Christianity and Judaism.
Benedict XVI, who died Dec. 31 at age 95, was the first pope to ever invite Jewish leaders both to the funeral of a pontiff, and above all, to the celebration of his own coronation at which I was privileged to be one of those present.
Already during the first year of his pontificate he received many Jewish delegations and notable individuals, including the chief rabbis of Israel and the chief rabbi of Rome. In receiving the latter, he declared, “the Catholic Church is close and is a friend to you. Yes, we love you and we cannot but love you, because of the Fathers: through them you are very dear and beloved brothers to us.”
The last time I met him personally was well after he had demonstrated his genuine and impressive humility in stepping down as pontiff and devoting himself to study and prayer. I visited him at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican gardens. While he was physically weak his mind was still lucid.
We spoke in particular about the positive treatment of the Jewish scriptures in the work of the Pontifical Theological Commission that dealt with this subject, and which was published under his imprimatur. At that time, I recalled our first conversation in Jerusalem when he said to me, “your duty as a believing Jew is to be true to Torah, and everything that is holy for you must have theological meaning for us.”
I said to him, “You know there are many of us who see religious significance in the return of the Jewish people to its homeland.”
“Of course, I know,” he replied. “We must also view it as a sign of God’s fidelity to His covenant with the Jewish people that has sustained you, even if we cannot attribute to it the same theological meaning as you might.”
Cardinal Ratzinger was a member of the papal commission that ratified the Fundamental Agreement between the State of Israel and the Holy See, establishing full diplomatic relations between the two. It was my great privilege to have been part of the Israeli negotiating team that concluded that agreement.
One of Ratzinger’s closest Israeli friends, the late professor Zvi Werblovsky of Hebrew University, told me that the cardinal phoned him from Rome to express his joy and congratulations on the agreement, declaring it to be a fulfillment of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council declaration of 1965 that revolutionized the Church’s teaching and approach towards Jews and Judaism.
During Benedict’s papacy a couple of serious crises in Jewish-Christian relations emerged relating to the Society of Saint Pius XII and to the wider provision of the Latin Mass and its text. These crises, as much a result of church governance mismanagement as anything else, were followed by clarifications that emphasized the Vatican’s commitment to Nostra Aetate; its unqualified rejection of antisemitism as a sin against God and man, and a complete disavowal of proselytization of Jews.
Unfortunately, they still did not completely repair the damage to Benedict XVI’s papacy. Nevertheless, Benedict explicitly and sincerely strove to continue to advance the paths of his predecessor, especially regarding the relationship between the Church and the Jewish People.
In repeating his predecessor’s dramatic gestures of going to the great synagogue in Rome; of paying homage in Auschwitz to the victims of the Holocaust, and of making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he paid respects to the State of Israel’s highest national civic and religious authorities, Pop Benedict institutionalized such steps, demonstrating the sincerity of Catholic-Jewish reconciliation for the Church as a whole.
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US Defends Israel’s Right to Recognize Somaliland, Likens Move to Palestinian State Recognition
A demonstrator holds an image depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Somalis attend a demonstration after Israel became the first country to formally recognize the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, a decision that could reshape regional dynamics and test Somalia’s longstanding opposition to secession, in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia, Dec. 28, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Feisal Omar
The United States has defended Israel’s decision to recognize the self-declared Republic of Somaliland amid international backlash, comparing the move to the recognition of a Palestinian state by numerous countries.
“Israel has the same right to conduct diplomatic relations as any other sovereign state,” Tammy Bruce, deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, said during an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Monday.
Bruce’s comments came in response to widespread criticism of Israel’s formal recognition of the breakaway territory of Somaliland. Several Arab, Islamic, and African countries, organizations, and entities publicly rejected the move, as did other nations such as China. The European Union also opposed the decision, saying it “reaffirms the importance of respecting the unity, the sovereignty, and the territorial integrity” of Somalia.
US President Donald Trump has said he opposes recognition of Somaliland, and Bruce added on Monday that Washington had no announcement or change in American policy regarding the self-declared country. However, Bruce chided other nations for recently welcoming recognition of a “nonexistent Palestinian state” against Israel’s wishes while condemning Israel for its latest diplomatic move, calling out what she described as a “double standard” against the Jewish state.
“Earlier this year, several countries, including members of this council, made the unilateral decision to recognize a nonexistent Palestinian state. And yet, no emergency meeting was called to express this council’s outrage,” she noted.
Many Western countries — including France, the UK, Australia, and Canada — recognized a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, a move Israeli and US officials criticized as “rewarding terrorism.” Hamas praised the decision, even describing recognition as “the fruits of Oct. 7,” citing the Palestinian terrorist group’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as the reason for increasing Western support.
“This council’s persistent double standards and misdirection of focus distract from its mission of maintaining international peace and security,” Bruce said.
However, Slovenian Ambassador Samuel Zbogar, whose country has recognized Palestinian statehood, rejected Washington’s comparison.
“Palestine is not part of any state. It is illegally occupied territory, as declared by the International Court of Justice, among others,” Zbogar said, describing Somaliland as “part of a UN member state” and arguing that “recognizing it goes against” the UN Charter.
Israel on Friday became the first country to officially recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.
Somaliland is an unrecognized state in the Horn of Africa, situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Ethiopia to the south and west, and Somalia to the east.
“The State of Israel plans to immediately expand its relations with the Republic of Somaliland through extensive cooperation in the fields of agriculture, health, technology, and economy,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.
Although no other country has formally recognized Somaliland, several — including the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Kenya, and Taiwan — have maintained liaison offices, allowing them to engage diplomatically and conduct trade and consular activities without full formal recognition.
“It is not a hostile step toward Somalia, nor does it preclude future dialogue between the parties. Recognition is not an act of defiance. It is an opportunity,” Israel’s Deputy UN Ambassador Jonathan Miller told the UN Security Council on Monday.
According to experts, the growing Israel-Somaliland partnership could be a “game changer” for Israel, boosting the Jewish state’s ability to counter the Yemen-based Houthi terrorist group while offering strategic and geographic advantages amid shifting regional power dynamics.
Unlike most other states in the region, Somaliland has relative security, regular elections, and a degree of political stability — qualities that make it a valuable partner for international allies and a key player in regional cooperation.
Last month, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), a prominent Israeli think tank, released a new report arguing that Somaliland’s strategic position along the Red Sea, its closeness to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, and its willingness to work with pro-Western states make it a key ally for Israel, benefiting both sides amid rising regional volatility.
“Somaliland’s significance lies in its geostrategic location and in its willingness — as a stable, moderate, and reliable state in a volatile region — to work closely with Western countries,” the INSS report said.
“Somaliland’s territory could serve as a forward base for multiple missions: intelligence monitoring of the Houthis and their armament efforts; logistical support for Yemen’s legitimate government in its war against them; and a platform for direct operations against the Houthis,” it continued.
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Hundreds of Israeli Medical Professionals to Gather in Miami for Conference Following Mass Exodus From Israel
An ambulance is seen at the entrance to the emergency room of Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, July 15, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Rami Amichay
Hundreds of Israeli health-care professionals who have moved out of Israel and now live in the United States will participate in the ScienceAbroad Conference in Miami, Florida, next month to address the exodus of Israeli researchers and scientists who have left the Jewish state.
Israeli physicians, researchers, medical students, residents, fellows, and other health-care professionals living in the US are all expected to attend the conference in Florida on Jan. 16 to address the issue of Israel’s “growing brain drain,” according to ScienceAbroad, an organization that connects more than 11,000 Israeli scientists and physicians in over 30 countries.
According to data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) released earlier this month, almost 55,000 Israelis with academic degrees, from bachelor’s to PhD, have been living overseas for three or more years as of 2024. There has also been a steady decline in the number of academics returning to Israel. The numbers reflect a growing trend of Israelis leaving the country in recent years amid Israel’s war with Hamas-led terrorists in the Gaza Strip and political tensions in the country.
The upcoming conference is led by ScienceAbroad in partnership with the Sheba Research Authority (Tel HaShomer), the Israeli Medical Association, and Nefesh B’Nefesh, which promotes and facilitates Jewish immigration from the US and Canada to Israel. ScienceAbroad, which is working to bring Israeli scientists and physicians back to Israel’s research and health-care systems, will hold its first-ever conference in Miami as part of the 2026 IAC National Summit.
“This conference brings together Israel’s medical and scientific leaders living in north America to confront one of the most urgent challenges facing Israel today – how to sustain its research, health care, and innovation future by reconnecting with its global talent,” said Nadav Douani, executive director of ScienceAbroad.
Speakers at the conference will include IDF Chief Medical Officer Brig. Gen. Dr. Zivan Aviad-Beer; Prof. Joel Mokyr, a Nobel Prize-winning economist from Northwestern University; and CEO of Israel’s Soroka Medical Center Prof. Shlomi Codish. Additional speakers will include Dr. Zeev Feldman, who is chairman of the State Physicians Organization and vice chair of the Israeli Medical Association, as well as Prof. Itai M. Pessach, who is associate director general of the Sheba Medical Center and CEO of the Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, both in Israel.
Established in 2006, ScienceAbroad supports collaboration between Israeli scientists and medical professionals abroad and partners in Israel.
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Former Hamas Hostages Matan Zangauker and Ilana Gritzwesky Get Engaged in Florida
Former hostage Matan Zangauker, who was released from Hamas captivity as part of the Trump deal, arrives at the weekly rally at the Hostages Square. Photo: Yael Guisky Abas / SOPA Images via Reuters Connect
Former Hamas hostages Matan Zangauker and Ilana Gritzwesky got engaged on Sunday in Florida, according to a post on X by Zangauker’s mother.
The couple were both abducted by Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel. Gritzwesky, 31, was freed on Nov. 30, 2023, and Zangauker, 26, returned home on Oct. 13 of this year, after 738 days in captivity. He was released along with the 19 remaining living hostages as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
In August, while Zangauker was still in captivity, Gritzwesky staged a mock wedding during a rally at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv that called for Zangauker’s release from captivity. She stood under a chuppah while wearing a wedding dress and a veil, and held a photo of Zangauker. His mother stood by her side, dressed in black.
Zangauker proposed to his life partner on a rooftop near the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida, as seen in a photo of the proposal shared on social media by his mother, Einav, who campaigned tirelessly for his release. In the picture, the couple is drinking champagne and standing in front of a “Will you marry me” sign inside a flower-decorated wreath that is in the shape of a heart. “My picture of victory, Matan and Ilana,” Einav wrote in the caption.
תמונת הניצחון שלי
אילנה & מתן pic.twitter.com/1XQ9wSrJm8— עינב צנגאוקר (@enavezangauker) December 29, 2025
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog congratulated the young couple on their engagement in a message posted on X.
“Dear Matan and Ilana: From unimaginable pain, you chose life, love, and hope,” he wrote. “Your decision to build a future together is a moment of profound light for the people of Israel. Let the world see this and understand: the people of Israel choose life. Even after terror, we choose love, renewal, and hope. Mazal Tov to Matan and Ilana, and to your families.”
During the Hamas-led deadly massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, the couple jumped out of the window of the safe room in their home and ran in separate directions after terrorists fired shots at their door. They were separately kidnapped and held apart from each other during their captivity in the Gaza Strip. Gritzewsky has talked publicly about being sexually assaulted by her captors during her abduction and while in captivity.