Churches in occupied East Jerusalem are nervous in regards to the rise of assaults by Israeli extremists on Christian properties within the metropolis.
Current and former church officers advised Anadolu Agency (AA) that the frequent assaults on Christian property ended with out punishing the perpetrators.
“The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the act of vandalism at the Protestant Mount Zion Cemetery in Jerusalem,” the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a tweet on Wednesday.
History of assaults
On Dec. 27, 2022, dozens of settlers stormed the 5,000-square-meter (53,820-square-feet) plot of land in Silwan, south of Jerusalem’s Old City, beneath Israeli police safety.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate decried the settler raid as a “clear encroachment” on its properties in Jerusalem.
“This radical group has no right or judicial backing in their favor to allow them to enter or occupy the land,” it stated in an announcement.
The patriarchate referred to the truth that two years in the past, a settlement affiliation tried seizing the Imperial and Little Petra inns situated in Omar Ibn Al Khattab Square within the Old City of Jerusalem.
Conviction awaiting punishment
The former bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church within the Holy Land, Munib Younan, stated: “The attack on a cemetery that tells the history of Lutherans since the 19th century is evidence of the hatred of the attackers.”
During his interview with AA, Younan stated the assault on the cemetery “is unacceptable and should not only be condemned but the perpetrators must also be punished.”
He burdened that the aggressors “aimed to seize the Hebron Gate by seizing the Imperial and Petra Hotels, which would lead to control of the local and international Christian pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City.”
Intentional narrowing
The latest assaults weren’t restricted to the property of the Lutheran Church, but in addition included the property of different Christian denominations, together with these owned by the Greek Orthodox Church.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate’s spokesperson, Father Issa Musleh, stated, “Extremists attack churches and monasteries, just as they attack the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
“Our Muslim brothers are exposed to the same attacks we are exposed to, our cause is the same,” he added.
He attributed the growing decline within the numbers of Christians within the Holy Land partially to Christians feeling focused by extremists.
Father Musleh known as on Christians to return to their lands to confront the “targeting of settlers,” noting that “they are harassing us to displace us, but we will remain until the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is established.”
Musleh stated, “the presence of an extremist right-wing government in Israel does not scare only us but the whole world.”
Against unknown
Over the years, Wadih Abu Nassar, spokesperson for the Council of Heads of Catholic Churches in Jerusalem, together with Israeli authorities, adopted up on many assaults.
“We are not talking about singular attacks but rather dozens of attacks over the past few years, most of which were recorded against unknown persons,” he famous.
“This matter cannot be accepted,” Abu Nassar added. “Advanced security services must be used to stop hate crimes and bring perpetrators to justice.”
He warned towards the event of assaults sooner or later and their transgression of cemeteries.
“The continuation of the attacks will lead their perpetrators to believe that they are untouchable, their attacks will not end with graveyards,” Abu Nassar famous.
He additionally identified that “hate crimes stem from an educational problem,” including, “A radical solution is needed.”
Aggravating assaults
Abu Nassar narrated examples of how the Israeli authorities deal evenly with hate crimes.
“In the case of the attack on the church of the Grotto of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, the assailant was arrested, then declared mentally abnormal,” he burdened, explaining: “The Israeli authorities behave strangely with such crimes. If the assault is documented through cameras, authorities say the faces are blurred, and when aggressors are arrested, they are always mentally ill.”
“I do not rule out that the Christian presence is targeted, according to some Jewish fundamentalists, the Christian is an enemy. There are ideological dimensions, not just political ones, just as I do not rule out hatred among some,” he added.
