- Title: JERUSALEM: Suspected 'Price Tag' settlers attack Christian monastery
- Date: 8th February 2012
- Summary: JERUSALEM (FEBRUARY 7, 2012) (REUTERS) VIEW OF MONASTERY GREEK FLAG ON ROOF OF MONASTERY FATHER CLAUDIO, RESIDENT OF THE MONASTERY, OUTSIDE SPEAKING ON MOBILE PHONE VANDALISED CAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) FATHER CLAUDIO OF THE MONASTERY SAYING: "At 4:30 I get up, I go outside my monastery, I go to the Patriarchate I celebrate, I pray. I look he (the vandal) writes Israeli language, something like 'Christian go out' 'Greek go out' and another, another, another, for the car, a diplomatic car and another car." VARIOUS OF VANDALISED VEHICLES WITH 'PRICE TAG' PAINTED ON THEM PUNCTURED TYRE GRAFFITI ON CAR READING; 'GREEKS GET OUT' GRAFFITI ON CAR READING: 'PRICE TAG' SLOGAN SAYING 'MIGRON' / STAR OF DAVID' SPRAY PAINTED ON CAR MORE OF GRAFFITI VARIOUS OF DAMAGED CARS WIDE OF MONASTERY
- Embargoed: 23rd February 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Jerusalem, Jerusalem
- City:
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Crime
- Reuters ID: LVACW441CE5CTQ9RO2Z53D2CZW16
- Story Text: A Jerusalem monastery, built on the spot where tradition holds the tree from which Jesus's cross was made, was defaced with graffiti bearing the hallmarks of militant Jewish settlers, police said on Tuesday (February 7).
"Death to Christians" was daubed in Hebrew on the outer walls of the Monastery of the Cross, an 11th-century fortress-like holy site situated in a valley overlooked by Israel's parliament.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the words "Price Tag" were also painted overnight by the vandals, who damaged two cars parked outside the monastery in the rare attack on a Christian shrine in Jerusalem.
The slogan, used by Jewish settlers in vandalism attacks on mosques and Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, refers to the retribution they say they will exact for any attempt by the Israeli government to curb settlement in the territory.
"At 4:30 I get up, I go outside my monastery, I go to the Patriarchate I celebrate, I pray. I look he (the vandal) writes Israeli language, something like 'Christian go out' 'Greek go out' and another, another, another, for the car, a diplomatic car and another car," Father Claudio of the monastery, which is administered by the Greek Orthodox church, told Reuters.
Rosenfeld said police had opened an investigation. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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