Holy Land: Statue of Jesus desecrated in Jerusalem church

Face of the desecrated statue of Jesus

Source: Custodia Terrae Sanctae

The Custody of the Holy Land issued the following statement after a man vandalised a statue of Jesus on the Way of the Cross in Jerusalem yesterday. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on the Christian community.

"Today at 8.30 in the morning, a religious American Jewish man entered the Church of the Flagellation, which is the first stop on the Via Dolorosa, in the Old City of Jerusalem. The man tore down the statue of Jesus and defaced the face of the statue. After he was immobilized by the shrine's door keeper, the police arrived and arrested him.

This is the fifth incident that has occurred in recent weeks. Just last week, some tourists were attacked by a group of religious Jews who entered the New Gate. They committed acts of vandalism at the New Gate, near the headquarters of the Custody of the Holy Land, throwing chairs, tables and glasses and transforming the Christian quarter into a battlefield. About two weeks ago, a Christian cemetery in Jerusalem was vandalized. Also 'Death to Christians' graffiti was written on the walls of a monastery in the Armenian quarter and premises used as a church in the Maronite centre of Ma'alot were vandalized.

We follow with are concerned concern and strongly condemn this growing succession of serious acts of hatred and violence against the Christian community in Israel. It is no coincidence that the legitimisation of discrimination and violence in public opinion and in the current Israeli political environment also translates into acts of hatred and violence against the Christian community. We expect and demand that the Israeli government and law enforcement agencies act decisively to guarantee security for all communities, to guarantee the protection of religious minorities and to eradicate religious fanaticism. We specifically refer to these serious incidents of intolerance, crimes of hatred, and vandalism directed against Christians in Israel."

The UK Consulate in Jerusalem tweeted: "UK remains deeply concerned by repeated attacks against Christians & their properties in East Jerusalem. This morning, the Flagellation Chapel was attacked in the Old City. The perpetrators of religiously motivated attacks should be held to account."