Israel: Vandals desecrate Christian cemetery

A new act of vandalism targeting Christians in Israel was reported by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem on Saturday.

The incident took place in the cemetery of the Salesian Convent of Beit Jimal shortly before Christmas. Strangers broken into the cemetery, which is located 500 metres from the Salesian Convent of Beit Gemal, near Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem. Several wooden and concrete crosses over the graves were smashed and thrown to the ground. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

On December 30th, 2015, the police at Beit Shemesh were notified and have opened an investigation.

According to a statement by the Salesians, a similar desecration took place on September 27, 1981, when strangers smashed thirty wooden crosses in the cemetery.

In March 2014, vandals targeted the monastery of Deir Rafat, where the sanctuary of Our Lady of Palestine is found, near Beit Shemesh. Anti-Christian and anti-American graffiti were discovered on the walls of the monastery. The writings bear the hallmark of 'price tag', the Jewish extremist movement.

Source: Latin Patriarchate's Media Office