Israel: Tour guides protest at growing violence against Christians

View of Temple Mount from Dominus Flevit Church in Jerusalem, by Berthold Werner - Wiki Image

Source: Saint James Vicariate

The Saint James Vicariate For Hebrew Speaking Catholics in Israel have published the following statement by tour guides in Israel regarding the increasing cycle of violence in Jerusalem.

The guides write:

In recent months we have witnessed an increase in the number of attacks against Christians, both physically and materially, mainly in and around the Old City of Jerusalem. Spitting at clerics wearing habits or Christian symbols, spitting at houses of worship, graffiti on the walls of Christian institutions that include curses and threats, attacks on members of the local Christian communities in the New Gate and in the Armenian quarter, attacks on Christian tourists in the Jewish quarter, vandalism and desecration of dozens of tombstones in the Protestant cemetery, and now violent vandalism in the church in the monastery of the Flagellation.

These are Hate crimes of extremist Jews who seek to harm local Christians and foreigners. The cluster of recent events indicate an aggravation and arouse great concern about continued damage to people and property.

We, as tour guides whose mission is to educate and present the Holy City, its traditions, heritage, history and narratives, to Israelis and tourists, are very concerned about the current situation, the severity of the events and their recurrence. In our work, we try to present Jerusalem, a city sacred to three religions, as an inclusive city, whose thousands of years of history are told by its stones and communities.

We are embarrassed by acts of vandalism that seek to erase the complexity and cultural richness of the city. We, as tour guides, educate for tolerance and respect of others, for appreciation of the diversity and multiculturalism of the city.

We are afraid of violent incidents that cause anxiety and fear among the residents and visitors in the city. We, as tour guides who tell tourists and visitors about the tortuous history, about rulers and conquerors, about the builders and designers of the city, about palaces, citadels, temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues in Jerusalem.

We are afraid of people who try to destroy, erase, corrupt and harm institutions and communities in the city.

We, as tour guides call on the authorities to bring to justice the captured attackers, whose actions cause property and soul damage to the members of the Christian communities and harm Israeli society as a whole and the State of Israel.

We call on the Israel Police to act decisively in every case of injury, minor or serious, in order to create deterrence and fear among potential offenders.

We call on the Israeli government to engage in dialogue with social and religious leaders to promote tolerance. We will continue to educate and teach the values of respect for others and the multicultural wealth of the land. We stand in solidarity with everyone affected by these acts of violence and hope for the cooperation of all parties, to eradicate the phenomenon.

We hope that we can continue to guide, lead, and safely educate groups throughout Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

LINK

Saint James Vicariate For Hebrew Speaking Catholics in Israel - www.catholic.co.il