In an address at the Vatican last month, Pope Francis stated that the Mosaic law “does not give life [and] does not offer the fulfillment of [God’s] promise.” A few weeks later, Francis clarified that he was concerned about the influence of “fundamentalists” within the church whose legalism “leads us to a rigid religiosity, a rigidity that eliminates that freedom of the [Holy] Spirit.” Some Jewish figures saw in both addresses a resurfacing of anti-Judaic ideas that have been muted in Catholic doctrine since the Second Vatican Council, and the Vatican has responded with appropriate reassurances. Warren Goldstein, the chief rabbi of South Africa and himself an active participant in Jewish-Christian dialogue, comments:

Whatever the pope’s intentions, his remarks reflect a classic Christian objection to the Torah’s perceived [legalism] and convey a common misconception that Judaism prioritizes legal minutiae over the moral and spiritual ideals these laws are meant to express.

At the heart of Judaism is the understanding that grand concepts on their own are abstract and intangible. What good are profound values if we don’t know how to put them into action? For great ideas to take shape, we need to know what to do with them. For ideals to make a difference, we need to live them. . . . It takes work to translate grand ideas into good character, for lofty concepts to make a better world.

The transformative power of the Torah lies not in its big ideas, alone, but in its unique synthesis of philosophy and practice. . . . For example, we know we should have compassion for others, but it is the Torah that offers . . . detailed directives on comforting mourners, visiting the sick, burying the dead, and other methods for alleviating human suffering. . . . We know we should take opportunities to step back from the frenzy of life to restore our energy and reconnect with our values, but it is the Torah that offers explicit instructions for what it means to “rest” on Shabbat, and what we should do to enhance the tranquility and spiritual connection of the day.

Established in 2012 and maintaining branches in Europe, North America, and Iran, the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Network claims its goal is merely to show “solidarity” for imprisoned Palestinians. The organization’s leader, however, has admitted to being a representative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a notorious terrorist group whose most recent accomplishments include murdering a seventeen-year-old girl. As Arsen Ostrovsky and Patricia Teitelbaum point out, Samidoun is just one example of how the European Union allows Iran-backed terrorists to operate in its midst:

The PFLP is a proxy of the Iranian regime, which provides the terror group with money, training, and weapons. Samidoun . . . has a branch in Tehran. It has even held events there, under the pretext of “cultural activity,” to elicit support for operations in Europe. Its leader, Khaled Barakat, is a regular on Iran’s state [channel] PressTV, calling for violence and lauding Iran’s involvement in the region. It is utterly incomprehensible, therefore, that the EU has not yet designated Samidoun a terror group.

According to the Council of the European Union, groups and/or individuals can be added to the EU terror list on the basis of “proposals submitted by member states based on a decision by a competent authority of a member state or a third country.” In this regard, there is already a standing designation by Israel of Samidoun as a terror group and a decision of a German court finding Barakat to be a senior PFLP operative.

Given the irrefutable axis-of-terror between Samidoun, PFLP, and the Iranian regime, the EU has a duty to put Samidoun and senior Samidoun leaders on the EU terror list. It should do this not as some favor to Israel, but because otherwise it continues to turn a blind eye to a group that presents a clear and present security threat to the European Union and EU citizens.