Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) - On Sunday afternoon, September 29 four young Israeli Jews between 17 and 27 years of age were arrested after they had severely damaged at least fifteen evangelical Christian graves in the cemetery situated on Mount Zion, near the Old Town of Jerusalem. The four arrested were students aattending a Jewish religious school (yeshiva) situated in the west of the Old Town. At least two of them - said Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld – seem to be activists of acronyms related to the extremist Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
It is since the beginning of 2012 that desecration and vandalism against Christian and Muslim monasteries, churches, mosques and cemeteries are carried out by extremist groups close to the Jewish settlement movement. Many of these acts of intimidation so far have been "signed" with the formula "the price to pay". "These acts", says to Fides Agency the Palestinian priest Raed Abusahliah, general director of Caritas Jerusalem "should be pursued with firmness and brought to justice, avoiding to liquidate these gestures as if they were only a few reckless excesses". Father Raed reports that some of those attending rabbinical schools often show offensive attitudes towards bishops, nuns, priests and religious who go to the Old City.
"As soon as they see a cross", the priest said "many of them begin to spit on the ground". (GV) (Agenzia Fides30/09/2013)
