Israel: Extremist attacks on Christian churches increased after the elections

The German architect and archaeologist Konard Schick (1822-1901) spent more than 50 years of his life in Jerusalem. He was involved in the planning of Mea Shearim, the world-famous Jewish quarter outside the Old Town of Jerusalem. His archaeological discoveries are still considered groundbreaking. When Schick was buried in the Anglican-Prussian cemetery at Mount Zion, he went down in history as someone who was loved and respected by Jews, Muslims and Christians alike.

That mutual respect has been lost. A month ago, two Jewish youths vandalized about 30 graves, overturning crosses and breaking tombstones. For racist reasons, as speculated after their arrest. The Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the incident as an “insult to religion” and said the perpetrators must be brought to justice. Her chief of police Jerusalem he met with church leaders and offered help in repairing the damage.

The desecration of the cemetery was the prelude to a wave of anti-Christian incidents. On the night of January 11, unknown persons vandalized a Christian Maronite community center. A day later, graffiti was painted in the Old City that read “Death to Christians”, “Death to Arabs” and “Death to Armenians”.

Jewish extremists also attacked Christian-owned shops and restaurants near the New Gate of the Old City, in the center of the Christian quarter, throwing chairs and tables and using pepper spray on residents. A few days later, young Jewish extremists harassed Armenians in front of their patriarch’s residence.

After these attacks in the Old City, the warnings of the representatives of the Church in the Holy Land are becoming more and more intense. Leaders of all Christian churches were already horrified after the desecration of the cemetery, seeing the targeting as a sign of hatred towards Christians. After the new episodes, the Catholic bishops of the Holy Land warned that Jerusalem “must not become hostage to radical groups”. In the wake of the recent escalation in the country, between Israelis and Palestinians, they pointed to the need for fundamental respect for the religious beliefs of others.

The German Foreign Ministry warns Israel

In Berlin, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said that “the Israeli security authorities will fulfill their international obligations and those responsible will be held accountable.” Church representatives who have known the city for many years, however, do not see isolated incidents, but the risk of treatment and tolerance towards minorities. There is talk of an “enormous carnage” within a very short period of time, which is clearly noticeable.

Israel’s current Minister of National Security is Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is considered far-right, a former lawyer who in 2015, among other things, enthusiastically took on the defense of the perpetrators of an arson attack on a Christian church.

The president of Israel with the monks

In 2015, immediately after the crime, the then president of Israel expressed his disgust. He took a look at the damage and begged for financial help from Israel’s terror compensation fund, visiting the church several more times later.

Now, seven years later and under a different president, Christians in Jerusalem are uncertain about what role they can and should play in Israel. “Churches in Israel do not have a clear status in the Israeli legal system,” the top Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said recently.

The attacks don’t seem to stop. On Thursday came news of yet another attack by an alleged Jewish extremist against a Christian place of worship in Jerusalem. In Via Dolorosa, one of the places visited by almost all Christian pilgrims, there are reports of the desecration of a statue of Christ. The looming developments are causing enormous concern to many Christians in the Holy Land.

DW

Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.