Netanyahu gives Pope Francis book about the Inquisition during meeting

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Pope Francis in a closed-door meeting at the Vatican Monday to discuss global political issues.

Israel said that the two leaders spoke about the Iranian nuclear program, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the fate of Christians living in the Middle East.

During the meeting, Netanyahu gave the Pope a book by his father, the late Ben-Zion Netanyahu, an Israeli historian.

The book, "The Origins of the Inquisition," is partly about the Catholic Church’s medieval inquisition against the Jews and other religious minorities of Spain.

“To his Holiness Pope Franciscus, a great shepherd of our common heritage,” Netanyahu wrote in the book. 

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During a menorah lighting ceremony at Rome's synagogue, Netanyahu responded to criticism that he was creating tension between Israel and the US.

“As opposed to others, when I see that interests vital to the security of Israel’s citizens are in danger, I will not be quiet,” he said, likely referring to his predecessor Ehud Olmert.

“I am committed to the security of my people and to the future of my state, and in contrast to periods in the past, we have a loud and clear voice among the nations and we will sound it to warn during times of danger.”

Netanyahu later met with Italian Premier Enrico Letta.

The brief meeting between the Pope and the Israeli leader is another example that Pope Francis has taken an interest in global affairs.

Last week, the Pope met with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Unlike former Popes, Francis has weighed in on a number of political issues, including the Syrian civil war, in which he favors a diplomatic solution rather than the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.

He has also criticized what he sees is a creeping culture of consumerism and unbridled capitalism. He has also questioned the church's stance on gay issues.