ACOHL condemns Israeli settler’s attacks on Romanian monastery in Jerusalem

OCCUPIED AL-QUDS, (ST)_ The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL) has condemned Israeli settlers’ repeated attacks against the Romanian church monastery in Al-Quds [Jerusalem], the latest of which was setting fire to the entrance of the monastery of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Musrara.

 

The local priest managed to extinguish the fire quickly, according to WAFA news agency, which added that recordings of surveillance cameras showed Orthodox Jewish fundamentalists attempting to set the monastery entrance on fire.

 

“This act of vandalism is the fourth in a month that targeted the same monastery.According to the authorities, some religious Orthodox Jews are suspected as the probable assailants,” ACOHL said in a statement released on Tuesday.

 

The Assembly condemned the “offensive” attack which undermines peaceful coexistence among different religious communities.

 

“We, Catholic Churches, unite with the Orthodox Churches and all other Christian communities of Jerusalem and strongly condemn such acts of vandalism that offend not only the life of Christians but also of many who still believe in dialogue and mutual respect. These acts are contrary to the spirit of peaceful coexistence among the different religious communities of the City,” it said.

 

The ACOHL demanded that the Israeli authorities have started a serious investigation into the attack and will prosecute the assailants.

 

“All political and religious authorities of the City should unite in condemning these acts so frequent in these last months in Jerusalem. For that reason, we demand that the Israeli security authorities investigate these incidents seriously and bring assailants to justice,” it added.

 

“These acts and the rationale behind them prove, yet again, that it is necessary and urgent to work to make sure that all educational institutions in the Country educate their pupils on tolerance and respect to other religions, communities, and nations,” the Assembly said.

 

“We pray to the Almighty for granting wisdom to learn to live alongside each other, respecting each other’s dignity and rights,” it concluded.

 

Edited by: Basma Qaddour