Fury over more than 30 graves – including British Commonwealth war dead – vandalized in Jerusalem Christian cemetery: Archbishop of Canterbury condemns ‘blasphemous act’

Christians are outraged after more than 30 graves were destroyed in a Protestant cemetery in Jerusalem in an act described as “blasphemous” by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In the cemetery on Mount Zion, near where Christians believe Jesus’ Last Supper took place, stone tombs lie in ruins with fallen crosses.

Some graves are British Commonwealth war dead.

Church authorities said the damage was discovered on Tuesday, while surveillance footage from January 1 showed two men or boys vandalizing the grounds.

A Jerusalem bishop said Wednesday he was “appalled” by the desecration of dozens of Christian graves as police investigated the vandalism.

Church authorities said the damage was discovered on Tuesday, while surveillance footage from January 1 (pictured) showed two men or boys vandalizing the site

“We found that more than 30 tombstones and crosses were smashed,” Hosam Naoum, an Anglican bishop, told reporters at the cemetery.

Surveillance cameras showed the men wearing Jewish clothing. The pair were seen walking through a gate into the cemetery before knocking over stone crosses and throwing rocks at headstones.

The two vandals are accused of being Jewish extremists.

“These criminal acts were motivated by religious intolerance and hatred of Christians,” the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem said in a statement.

Israel Police said Tuesday they were investigating “the defacement of a large number of tombstones in the Protestant cemetery.”

Archbishop Hosam Naoum inspects a destroyed tombstone at Mount Zion Protestant Cemetery in Jerusalem, January 4, 2023

A general view of the damaged Protestant cemetery of Jewish settlers who crept into Jerusalem on January 1 on Mount Zion in eastern Jerusalem.

A destroyed headstone is seen at the Mount Zion Protestant Cemetery on January 4

Both the Anglican Church and the UK condemned Wednesday’s attack on the cemetery.

They were joined by Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who tweeted: “This shameful act of vandalism is an outrageous desecration of which I hope the perpetrators will be found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

On Twitter, the Archbishop of Canterbury called the vandalism “blasphemous”.

“The desecration of Christian graves in Jerusalem is a blasphemous act,” he said. “I join the Chief Rabbi and religious leaders in Jerusalem in their condemnation and hope that those responsible will soon be brought to justice.”

In a second message, he added: “As we continue to pray for peace in the Holy Land, I stand with Archbishop Hosam Naoum and other church leaders in Jerusalem and ask for respect, protection, equality and justice for its Christian community – who lives.” Stones of the church.’

Hosam Naoum stood in front of one of the damaged graves and said: “We are not only shocked, but also very sad.”

The bishop said the cemetery was laid out in the mid-19th century and is the final resting place of celebrities such as clergy, scientists and politicians.

Iska, a church worker, inspects a destroyed tombstone at Mount Zion Protestant Cemetery in Jerusalem, January 4, 2023

Pictured: A broken tombstone is seen in the Jerusalem cemetery

An aerial photo shows broken headstones at the Mount Zion Protestant cemetery that were vandalized on January 4, 2023 in Jerusalem

Among them are “people of great importance who contributed to the history of Jerusalem and the life of the people here,” he said.

The British Consulate in Jerusalem said in a tweet: “This is the latest in a series of attacks on Christians and their property in and around the Old City. The perpetrators of religiously motivated attacks must be held accountable.’

In a statement to MailOnline, the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East said: “Among the obliterated headstones was one with the bust of the right-wing Reverend Samuel Gobat, the second Protestant bishop in Jerusalem and founder of the neighboring Jerusalem University College . known as the Gobat School.

Among the graves destroyed were three Commonwealth graves of Palestinian police officers. Many stone crosses were also attacked by the vandals, clearly indicating that these criminal acts were motivated by religious intolerance and hatred towards Christians.”

Israel’s foreign ministry called for the perpetrators to be prosecuted, writing on Twitter that “this immoral act is an insult to religion.”

Mount Zion lies outside the ancient city walls and has attracted pilgrims for centuries. It is also revered by Jews as the burial place of the biblical King David.

In December 2021, church leaders warned that “Christians in Jerusalem and the wider Holy Land have come under frequent and sustained attacks from fringe radical groups.”

In the Holy Land, in the cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where the “story” of Christianity began 2,000 years ago, indigenous Christians are calling for help this Christmas as their numbers continue to dwindle and they face discrimination and economic suffering Above: The Church of the Holy Sepulcher – erected on the alleged site of Jesus’ tomb – in April

The statement criticized the lack of action by law enforcement and local officials, allegations Israel’s foreign ministry dismissed as “baseless.”

And in the run-up to Christmas 2022, the church has expressed fears that the faith in Jerusalem will be little more than a “museum piece” after the number of followers of Jesus in the city has fallen by two-thirds to 10,000 since 1948. .

In 1948, Jerusalem’s 31,000 Christians made up about 20 percent of the population. Now it is only 10,000, less than two percent.

The number continues to decrease, although the cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem were the starting point of Christianity’s “history” 2,000 years ago.