Madonna Asks Pope Leo XIV to Visit Gaza, Claims to Avoid Taking Sides
Madonna urged Pope Leo XIV to intervene in Gaza, framing it as a humanitarian plea, but her call risks echoing Hamas propaganda by ignoring the conflict’s complexities and Israel’s peace efforts. This reflects a broader trend among celebrities whose pro-Palestinian stances often amplify antisemitic narratives, contributing to global tensions.
Yesterday, pop icon Madonna posted on Instagram urging Pope Leo XIV to intervene in Gaza, coinciding with her son Rocco’s birthday. “Most Holy Father. Please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it’s too late,” she wrote. “As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering. The children of the world belong to everyone. You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry.” She added, “I am not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides. Everyone is suffering. Including the mothers of the hostages. I pray that they are released as well,” emphasizing, “Politics cannot affect change. Only consciousness can. Therefore I am reaching out to a man of God.” Madonna framed her appeal as the “best gift” for her son, asking “everyone to do what they can to help save the innocent children caught in the crossfire in Gaza.”
Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope elected in May 2025 after Pope Francis’s death, has addressed Gaza’s plight, stating during a Rome Mass, “In communion with Christ, our peace and hope for the world, we are closer than ever to young people who suffer the most serious evils which are caused by other human beings. We are with the young people of Gaza.” Madonna’s plea, however, ignores the complex reality of the conflict, including Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 50 hostages, 20 believed alive as of August 2025. Her call risks amplifying Hamas propaganda, often echoed by celebrities who overlook Israel’s repeated peace offers since 1948, all rejected by Palestinian leadership. Off course it also ignored the aid Israel continuously attempts to pour into Gaza to reach Gazan civilians, yet Hamas terrorists steal, control, and even sell the aid for their own profit. Blaming Israel for the supposed starvation of the Gazan people is another propaganda tool used by Hamas to twist the truth. This is also seen in the videos showing well fed Hamas terrorists and the often fake photos used of Gazan children who are often suffering from various complex illnesses unrelated to starvation.
Madonna’s history with the conflict is contentious. In 2019, she defied boycott calls from figures like Roger Waters and Brian Eno to perform at Eurovision in Tel Aviv, where she staged a controversial act with dancers wearing Israeli and Palestinian flags embracing, ending with “wake up” on screen. She told Reuters, “I’ll never stop playing music to suit someone’s political agenda, nor will I stop speaking out against violations of human rights wherever in the world they may be,” adding, “My heart breaks every time I hear about the innocent lives that are lost in this region and the violence that is so often perpetuated to suit the political goals of people who benefit from this ancient conflict.” Her performance drew a “slightly muted response,” as BBC’s Graham Norton noted. This latest move, amid a surge in anti-Semitic incidents globally, including a recent attack on a Jewish couple in Venice, underscores how celebrities’ one-sided narratives can fuel anti-Israel sentiment and obscure Hamas’s role in perpetuating violence.