Dangerous Attitudes Towards Armenian Clergy in Jerusalem: The Telegraph

Just three weeks after Easter, on March 19, two clergy members and a bishop were assaulted by two Israeli extremists at the Gethsemane Church, reported The Telegraph.

The church leadership and interfaith volunteers informed the publication that these attacks are almost exclusively directed at local Christian Palestinians rather than pilgrims or tourists, and are carried out by Israeli extremists.

Two Israelis have been arrested for committing acts of vandalism at the Anglican cemetery, and it is presumed they will stand trial later this year.

The superintendent of the Jerusalem police precinct insists that law enforcement is doing everything possible to prevent anti-Christian violence.

In addition to these attacks, other incidents occur that often go unnoticed. An Armenian priest told The Telegraph that he has been spat on three to five times during his daily walks from the Armenian Convent in the Old City to the Tomb of the Lord. He expressed greater concern for his younger seminarians and parishioners, who can be easily identified by their crosses.

“We need to hire someone to check access everywhere,” he said. “And for me, the idea is that this place should be open to everyone. But I fully understand that I am a dreamer.”