Sentences for the desecration of a historic Christian cemetery in Jerusalem

Standing next to the vandalized tomb of Jerusalem’s second Anglican bishop, Samuel Gobat, he said there had recently been an increase in spitting on Christians and attacks on their holy places.

Bishop Naoum added: “This is just an indication that we are not in a place where people can tolerate or accept each other.”

“We see more exclusion, more segregation and that’s what really saddens us in this city of Jerusalem.”

The British consulate in Jerusalem said in a tweet: “This (episode) is the latest in a series of attacks against Christians and their property in and around the Old City. Perpetrators of religiously motivated attacks must be held accountable “.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also condemned the vandalism of the cemetery. “This immoral act is an insult to religion and the perpetrators must be prosecuted,” the ministry wrote on Twitter.

Surveillance camera footage shows two young men carrying out the attack. And they wore a kippah (or skull cap) and knotted ends of fabric on their clothes, indicating that they were religious Jews.

Israeli police said they visited the cemetery to find out the damage and are investigating what happened.

The cemetery was established in 1848 on land purchased by Bishop Gobat, and is cared for by the Lutheran and Anglican communities.

Among those buried are scholars, politicians, members of the military and clerics, many of whom were prominent figures in Jerusalem.

Among the assaults were three Commonwealth war graves of Palestinian police officers, while several stone crosses were seen on the ground.

The Anglican Church said the targeting of the crosses clearly indicates that “these criminal acts were motivated by religious fanaticism and hatred against Christians”.

The Commonwealth War Graves Authority told the BBC it was “shocked” by the vandalism.

A spokesman for the authority said: “Very few of the authority’s gravestones have been damaged. We are working closely with the authorities on this matter and our staff within the country are already working to carry out comprehensive repairs and restore the graves to their original state.” their normal condition.”

The cemetery itself was similarly vandalized nine years ago.

The Anglican Church said it has received words of support from the President of Israel, Chief Rabbi of the Commonwealth of Nations Sir Ephraim Mirvis and other political and religious leaders.

He called for concerted efforts to combat “violent acts of desecration against holy places” and to create a safer, more respectful and tolerant environment in Jerusalem.