The Israel Police arrested five religious Jews accused of spitting on Christians in Jerusalem and announced the formation of a special team to confront “acts of hate against Christians”after a controversy broke out yesterday in the country as a result of a new attack against faithful in the Holy City.
“This morning, five suspects were detained by Jerusalem District Police officers on suspicion of spitting on Christians and churches in the Old City of Jerusalem.“, announced this Wednesday a police spokesperson, who also announced the creation of “a special investigation team” that will address “the acts of spitting and hatred towards Christians in the Old City.”
The statement also detailed that the police commander in Jerusalem ordered “expanding overt and covert operational activity, incorporating technological means and examining changes that would allow the imposition of administrative fines” on those responsible.The Police explained that one of the five arrested is a minor and specified that four of them were detained for an attack carried out this Wednesday.
I strongly condemn any attempt to intimidate the faithful and pledge to take immediate and decisive action against it.
These episodes take place in the context of a controversy in the country after the broadcast this Monday of a video in which a group of faithful spit at the feet of a group of Christians who were leaving a church carrying a cross.
This incident, which is not an isolated event but follows a trend of several months in which attacks against Christians in Jerusalem have increased significantly, was condemned yesterday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several members of his Government. .
“Israel is fully committed to safeguarding the sacred freedom of worship and pilgrimage to the holy places of all religions. I strongly condemn any attempt to intimidate the faithful and pledge to take immediate and decisive action against it.“said the president yesterday, who also highlighted that “any form of hostility towards people who participate in religious rituals will not be tolerated.”
According to local media, this Monday’s episode did not prompt the intervention of police personnel who were a few meters from the place, guarding a massive ceremony of religious Jews on the occasion of the Sukkot holiday.
In recent months, church leaders in the Holy Land have once again denounced the increase in attacks against their community, which they highlight include “spitting, verbal abuse and sometimes physical violence, as well as vandalism and graffiti writing, “mostly by extremist religious Jews.”
Christian leaders further warned that “those responsible for enforcing law and order rarely identify and arrest those responsible for these attacks and even more rarely are they held accountable for their actions.”
EFE
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