Vandals Desecrate Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem
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Benjamin Netanyahu Jerusalem Monastry Mayor Nir Barkat Monastery of the Cross Orthodox Greek church Price tag Sacher Park Vandals Desecrate Monastery
The Monastery of the Cross Church in Jerusalem. Photo: Yosarian/Wikimedia Commons.
Vandals spray-painted profanities on the entrance to and on three vehicles belonging to the Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem overnight Tuesday in the latest in a spate of so-called “price-tag” attacks on Christian institutions in Israel over the past year.
The vandalism at the church is the second such attack on the site this year, with a similar attack occurring some ten months ago. In both cases, police have made no arrests. The Orthodox Greek church, which lies in Jerusalem’s Valley of the Cross close to Sacher Park in Rehavia, also had graffiti spray-painted on its entrance which read: “Jesus is a son of a bitch” and “Jesus is an ape.” The cars were spray-painted with the messages: “Victory of the Maccabees, and Happy Holidays.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the vandalism, saying in a statement that the perpetrators’ actions did not reflect the Jewish people as a whole. “It goes against Jewish values we have been raised on and the values we pass on to our children,” Netanyahu said Wednesday. “The continued freedom of worship for all religions in Israel will be safeguarded and we will make sure the lowly vandals are brought to justice,” he said.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said the attack was an attempt to disrupt the religious coexistence in the city. Father Claudius, who runs the church, confirmed the vandalism and mentioned that a similar attack occurred 10 months ago at the exact same place.
“I forgive those who did this and I say Happy Hanukkah. I am not angry. I believe in peace and the love of the religious people. The people who did this have no peace in their hearts,” the father told Israel Radio.
12:16 am
If this was committed for religious reasons, unfortunately, it cannot be an act of followers of Islam. Islam recognizes Jesus as a great prophet; it accepts his virgin birth and holds his Mother in great esteem.
It could be of course a non-religiously motivated act and then all bets are off, the statement of the Israeli Prime Minister however hints for the opposite.
That said, the act of some stupid individuals cannot and should not endanger the peaceful coexistence of people of all three faiths in a land that is considered holy by all.
1:39 am
With 65 years of Muslim propaganda to delegitimize “The Zionist Entity”, plus the long, paid presence on Youtube and elsewhere on the Internet, did Bibi really blame the vandalism campaigns on Jews? Arabs don’t know psych-ops?
Is Bibi so shameless? Is it media spin? Or Algemeiner?
1:38 am
The quote above from the story infers Bibi blames the vandalism on Jews. Where is the evidence? Certainly not in the news story? Bibi served enough time in the United States not to need Michael (or Caroline) to teach him English nuance, if indeed English was the vehicle.
If Arabic [or Ivrit, Yiddish, Russian, French, Chinese or Swahili, for that matter) the text should say so.
1:10 pm
Mel, unfortunately the “price tag” vandalism has been mostly performed by distraught Jews. That being said I truly wish that no member of our community would resort to such means. It is important for me to try to rise above the hatred and I hope that this is a value shared by my Israeli brothers.
Happy Hanukkah and Am Yisrael Chai
-Edward
P.S. If it turns out that it wasn’t Jewish vandals then at the very least Bibi does not look biased. It is safer for him to condemn these acts as coming from his community rather than a community he cannot afford to alienate such as the christian or Israeli Arab community.