The Tuesday assault on a nun close to King David’s Tomb in Jerusalem was an assault on town’s basic values, Hebrew College of Jerusalem stated in a press release on Thursday morning, condemning the incident.
“This isn’t an remoted incident, however a part of a troubling sample of rising hostility towards the Christian neighborhood and its symbols,” the college stated. “As students of historical past and tradition, we view this violence as a direct assault on the elemental values of Jerusalem, a metropolis whose energy lies in its spiritual pluralism and its dedication to protected, open dialogue.”
Additional, it famous that the French College of Biblical and Archaeological Analysis (ÉBAF), the place the nun is employed as a researcher, is a “cherished tutorial companion in uncovering this land’s heritage. An assault on its students is an assault on the worldwide scientific neighborhood.”
The International Ministry additionally slammed the incident in a submit to X/Twitter on Wednesday, calling the incident a “shameful act [that] stands in direct contradiction to the values of respect, coexistence, and spiritual freedom upon which Israel is based and to which it stays deeply dedicated.”
“We prolong our honest sympathies to the nun, who was pushed to the bottom and bodily attacked, and we convey our solidarity with the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem.”
ÉBAF’s director, Olivier Poquillon, additionally condemned the assault in a Tuesday submit to X/Twitter.
“We strongly condemn this act of sectarian violence and anticipate the authorities to behave swiftly and firmly,” he wrote.
A 36-year-old man was arrested by Israel Police on Wednesday in reference to the case and is being questioned for racist assault.
“The Israel Police views significantly any manifestation of violence, particularly racially motivated, directed at spiritual figures,” it stated. “The police will proceed to behave with a heavy hand and nil tolerance with a view to protect and keep the correct and protected cloth of life for all ethnicities and religions within the metropolis of Jerusalem.”
The arrest comes after a number of incidents of discrimination towards Christians in Israel. Earlier this month, a photograph of an IDF soldier smashing a statue of Jesus in a village in southern Lebanon unfold on-line, inviting widespread condemnation.
Corinne Baum and Tzvi Jasper contributed to this story.
