More than 30 Christian graves have been vandalised in a Jerusalem cemetery – a few of them British Commonwealth War Graves.
Headstones have been toppled, iconography destroyed, and graves smashed, in an incident at round 3.20pm on Sunday afternoon.
CCTV masking part of the cemetery exhibits two younger males finishing up the assault, at one stage throwing chunks of marble at a notable grave and seemingly focusing on sure graves.
The Jerusalem Protestant Cemetery, within the grounds of The Jerusalem University College on Mount Zion, was based in 1848 and maintained by native communities.
It incorporates the graves of 77 navy personnel, 4 of whom died shortly after the First World War, and 73 males of the Palestine Police who have been killed through the Second World War.
It can be the burial place of many senior Christian leaders together with Samuel Gobat, the previous Bishop of Jerusalem.
Israeli police are investigating the violence and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has mentioned it’s going to perform injury assessments to start restore work.
The president of the college, Oliver Hersey, mentioned in an announcement: “The Mount Zion Police Department is working with staff at Jerusalem University College to identify two young men caught on security cameras throwing large pieces of marble crosses at headstones, in an effort to restore peace and safety to those residing in the Mount Zion community.”
Archbishop of Canterbury spoke in opposition to growing violence in opposition to Christians
In December 2021, the Archbishop of Canterbury and different senior Christian leaders spoke out about growing violence in opposition to Christians in Jerusalem, who had change into “the target of frequent and sustained attacks by fringe radical groups”.
Their assertion mentioned the techniques have been getting used “in a systematic attempt to drive the Christian community out of Jerusalem and other parts of the Holy Land”.
Fewer than 100,000 Christians now stay within the Old City, the location of The Last Supper and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre the place Jesus was allegedly crucified.
Source: information.sky.com”