Renowned Catholic church in Israel targeted by arson attack, which authorities believe to be the work of Jewish extremists
- Inside the Church of the Multiplication, an office for pilgrims, a meeting room, bibles, and prayer books were damaged or destroyed in the fire, which led to two hospitalizations.
- A passage of a Jewish prayer on idol worship was found spray-painted on a wall outside the church, evidence of the latest in a series of widely condemned provocations against churches and mosques.
- The church is a popular tourist destination in Israel, which believers identify as the site of Jesus’s miracle of the loaves and fish.
“This morning’s outrageous arson attack on a church is an attack on us all. In Israel freedom of worship is one of our core values and is guaranteed under the law. …Those responsible for this despicable crime will face the full force of the law. Hate and intolerance have no place in our society.”
More on this story at The Guardian.
(Image Credit: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty, via The Guardian)
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