Suspected Israeli nationalists torch Christian seminary in Jerusalem

posted on: Feb 26, 2015

Suspected Israeli nationalists set fire to a Christian seminary in Jerusalem and vandalized an elementary school in Nablus on Thursday, officials said. The attacks, which came a day after a similar group burned a mosque near Bethlehem, have been characterized as hate crimes by Israeli officials and “terrorism” by Palestinians.

According to local media reports, the assailants poured flammable liquid into a bathroom window of the Greek Orthodox seminary and ignited it. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said “anti-Christian” slogans were scribbled in Hebrew on the seminary’s walls — including “Jesus is a son of a whore” and “the redemption of Zion.”

The fire damaged the compound’s bathroom facilities, but was quickly subdued by city fire officials. No one was injured in the blaze.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said in a statement that the fire at the seminary was set deliberately and “there is no room for such deplorable activity” in the city, which is deemed holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians. The majority of Palestinian Christians are members of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Source: america.aljazeera.com