Israel is not perfect but it is the only relatively safe place for Christisns in the Middle East and Christisn visitors tourists students and pilgrims are welcomed with open arms and great hospitality. ———the Israeli authorities all the way from the local Galilee police up to the Prime Minister himself in Jerusalem are working hard to find the criminals (Moslem or Jewish or anything else) and prosecute them. There are a few social misfits there that try to cause troubles but frankly an arson job just isn’t their style. I therefore suspect we will learn this crime was done by the more usual suspects — but anything’s possible and one thing we’re pretty sure of is that they’ll be found and prosecuted appropriately. Israel Today carried an article on this, the perpetrators are bring hunted as we type : here’s the official political response so far -— Netanyahu: Attack on Galilee Church is Attack on All Israel
(Excerpts ——)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that the shameful arson attack against the Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha on the shores of the Sea of Galilee was not only an attack against Christians, but against all of Israel.
“The shocking arson of the church is an attack on all of us,” said Netanyahu in an official statement. “Israel’s freedom of religion is a cornerstone of our values and it is anchored in the law. We will mete out justice to those responsible for this atrocious act. We have no room for hatred and intolerance in our society.”
———, Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin and many more government officials were adamant that those responsible would be brought to justice. Most agreed that not only had the attack on Israeli Christians been unacceptable, but had stained the Jewish state.
“Whoever lights fire to a church is not only an idiot who lacks respect for religion — he is also a terrorist who is severely damaging the State of Israel. Law enforcement authorities should act with abundant severity toward whoever is found guilty,” wrote former Foreign Minister and Yisrael Beiteinu party chief Avigdor Lieberman.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan called the arson a “cowardly and vile act that I vigorously condemn. We will not allow anyone to shake the coexistence between religions and ethnic groups in Israel.”
Interior Minister Silvan Shalom called the head of the church, Father Matthias Karl, to let him know that “a hate crime like this is unbelievable and unacceptable. I apologize personally and on behalf of the state for this extremist attack.”
Religious leaders, too, were outraged. Chief Rabbi David Lau explained that “the actions taken this morning, apparently by ignorant and violent cowards, are completely at odds with the values of Judaism and humanity
Exactly. While we should rightly condemn this action and the people who carried it out, we are JOINED in this condemnation by the government and indeed the vast majority of people in Israel and the majority of Jews in Israel