Jerusalem – Vandals scribbled anti-Christian graffiti on the outer walls of one of Jerusalem’s best-known churches early Tuesday morning, Israeli police said. Extremist Jewish West Bank settlers are suspected.
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Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the perpetrators defaced a wall leading to the Church of the Dormition. The century-old structure is built on the site where tradition says the Virgin Mary died.
The graffiti, which read “Jesus, son of a whore, price tag,” had already been removed by midmorning, said Rosenfeld.
He says police are still searching for the assailants, though suspicion has fallen on a fringe group of pro-settler Jewish extremists who have carried out similar vandalism on churches, mosques and Israeli army property. They say the acts are in response to what they consider pro-Palestinian policies by the Israeli government, a form of retribution they call a “price tag.”
Tuesday’s graffiti is the latest in a wave of vandalism on Christian holy sites in Israel. Israel has about 155,000 Christian citizens, less than 2 percent of its 7.9 million people, but the repeated defacing of their sacred sites has shocked the country and drawn official condemnation.
“Price tag actions go against the morals and values of Judaism and do great harm to the state of Israel,” said President Shimon Peres, speaking at a meeting with one of Israel’s chief rabbis during a celebration of the Jewish festival of Sukkoth. “It is forbidden to harm the holy sites of religions and faiths,” Peres said.
The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land condemned the vandalism and called on Israel to act to stop it.
“The Christian community lives in Israel modestly and quietly, out of respect to the Jews and Muslims that reside with them in Israel. It is a shame that there are those who try and harm the relations of trust that were woven over the years between the different faiths,” the Franciscan Custody said in a statement.
Earlier it posted a statement about the incident on the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, saying it was “distressed” with the vandalism.
“This is reminiscent of the graffiti sprayed in the Abbey of Latrun one month ago. Jesus is once again profaned and signed ‘price tag,’ a characteristic mark of Israeli extremists,” the statement said.
Shortly after Israel evacuated an illegally built West Bank settler outpost last month, vandals burned a door and spray-painted anti-Christian graffiti on the century-old Trappist Monastery in Latrun outside Jerusalem, with the words “Jesus is a monkey.”
No arrests have been made.
Whether the Jews – or the Muslims – living in Israel like it or not, the Christians also have a stake in the country. Their interest goes back 2,012 years, believe it or not.
All these mindless idiots who have perpetrated these crimes (be they Jewish, Muslim or of any other faith) are doing is to alienate public opinion against Israel round the world.
what a disgrace and must be dealt with swiftly and whoever did it serve prison time
Stupid vandals! Seems that they forgot that we are still, after all, in Golus (exile) and are prohibited from such behaviour. Yes, even in “Israel”.
But hey, look at that! The Christians aren’t reacting and rioting all over the world! Some Muslims might want to learn from that…
Why does this continue to happen? Don’t these idiots realize the true “price tag” of intolerance and vandalism? Do they honestly think their “statement” makes sense or resonates with anyone?
Jewish vandals of any flavor or stripe never make a positive difference – ever.
They spread senseless hatred and ignorance and give Gentiles more reasons to hate and persecute us.
most probably done by the left wing so the right wing can be blamed,
It is a very misleading headline to say “Jewish Vandals” since nobody has been arrested and nobody has taken responsibility. It could just as well be Arab vandals.
What have christians ever done to the settler movement to deserve such a thing anyway? If anything, christians have been the biggest supporters of these wackos. They have no hakaras hatov.