Posted on 12/06/2020 10:10:13 PM PST by Cronos
Israeli police said they arrested a man for attempting to set fire to East Jerusalem's Gethsemane Church on Friday.
The 49-year-old Israeli suspect allegedly snuck onto the Gethsemane Church's premises, poured flammable liquid on wooden pews and attempted to light them ablaze, according to local reports.
He was stopped by Palestinian residents who handed him over to the police, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
A spokesperson for the firefighters said four teams were dispatched to the site but the fire had "luckily not spread throughout the church".
"Preliminary investigation and the suspect's details strengthen the assessment that the background to the incident was criminal," police said.
Wadie Abunassar, a spokesman for the local clergy, said the suspect was "an Orthodox Jew who set fire to the interior of the church" and alleged there were possible "racist motives" behind the attack.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office on Friday condemned the attempt to burn down the Gethsemane Church.
The Palestinian presidency described the act as a hateful terrorist attack, and said it blamed the Israeli government for the attempt, as well as other past assaults by settlers on Palestinians, their holy places and their property.
The attempted arson was "evidence of the brutality and savageness of the Israeli settlers who practice terrorism in plain full sight of the Israeli occupation forces", Wafa news agency quoted the president's office as saying.
Located at the foot of the Mount of Olives, the Gethsemane Church - also known as the Church of All Nations - is the biblical site where Jesus is believed to have prayed after the Last Supper, and where he was arrested before his trial and crucifixion.
Palestinian-American activist Yousef Munayyer hit out at US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the top diplomat's claim to support Christian rights while overlooking the plight of Palestinian Christians.
The Higher Presidential Commission for Churches Affairs, a Palestinian-led group, also condemned the attack.
the Church or Basilica of the Agony, located on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, next to the Garden of Gethsemane. It enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest. (Mark 14:32–42)
By adriatikus - self-made using a en:Canon PowerShot A530 camera, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3476114
This is the bedrock where Jesus prayed.
A priest checks a damaged pew after a man poured out flammable liquid inside the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane, east Jerusalem
A key note is that the Israeli police jumped on this and acted promptly
The extremist settlers obviously disagree with this and will attempt to expand the settlements regardless of the effects on Israeli foreign policy.
It will be interesting to see how the Israeli government handles this. It will also be interesting to see what happens on FR when some people side with the government to succeed in improving relations with the Arab countries by ignoring the Palestinians, and those on FR who will side with the extremist settlers.
The extremist settlers by acting like their opponents in attacking churchs and mosques are only playing into anti-Israeli hands
Oh yes ..but we don’t expect it from Jews Cronos
Therein lies the difference
But nice try ..lol....I want you as my lawyer my next bit
An Israeli suspect does not necessarily mean a Jewish suspect. I’ll wait snd see.
bINGO
It is Very Infrequent.
Why post it then?
I think often you post a thread about something that bothers you but then throw in the PC crap because you feel like you have to cover yourself.
At least that’s my take.
Either put a thread up or don’t.
Save the caveats.
Show some courage :)
it was confirmed that it was a person who was Orthodox. It’s pretty definite he was acting on his own
Yes, that’s why it is news. This is one incident as opposed to dozens conducted by Muslims on Jews and Christians.
That’s why it is news. It isn’t news when a wolf eats a sheep but if a sheep eats a wolf...
That means nothing.
Russian Orthodox? Greek Orthodox?
Or Orthodox Jew?
Regards,
Why post it? Because
1. It is news affecting Christians in the Middle East - a topic I’m concerned about
2. This is news that would be flared up - better to hear both sides of it
The “Palestinians” lie, so why hear their “side” of it?
You going to keep spamming FR with Wafa propaganda?
“We received a report that a religious Jewish person was arrested after lighting a fire in the church,” Wadie Abu Nassar
Jerusalem Police officials said that a preliminary investigation points to a criminal act by a disturbed individual.
Orthodox Jewish. Disturbed. Acting alone.
1. “keep spamming” signifies more than one. This is one article and the only article
2. This isn’t from Wafa - it’s reported in IsraelNews, in Haaretz, Jerusalem post, etc. etc.
3. This isn’t propaganda - yet. It can be if you don’t take the time to know the facts on the ground. The facts being that this was a sole disturbed individual acting alone and not inspired by any preacher or other.
We expect it from Muslims
A gift that keeps on giving
Since AD624 by some accounts
Jews rarely attack Christian targets in the modern era though it does happen
Crazy comes in many flavors, but I know a Tunisian fellow who is into the knife intifada, his wife is a Pali and they feel ripped off, so he forgets Hannibal and all his BS and attacks Jews.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtEM_BoxiwM
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