(ZENIT News / Jerusalem, 06.12.2024).- The Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue in Jerusalem has raised concerns about a worrying increase in attacks against Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem during 2023. In its annual report, presented on June 4 at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute, the interreligious organization calls for urgent measures and better mechanisms for data collection.
The report details an increase in incidents of spitting, verbal and physical harassment, and serious damage to properties and graves. In total, there were 32 recorded attacks on church properties, seven cases of direct violence against Christians, and about 30 incidents of spitting, including attacks on foreign Christian pilgrims.
Hana Bendcowsky, director of programs at the Rossing Center, emphasized that while severe incidents, such as the attack on the Anglican cemetery in January, receive adequate responses, it is the seemingly minor acts, like spitting, that profoundly affect the Christian community.
Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and Federica Sasso of the Rossing Center agreed on the difficulty of obtaining accurate figures on these attacks, noting that the officially recorded incidents are only «the tip of the iceberg.» The reluctance of victims to report incidents due to humility or lack of awareness of their legal rights contributes to this underestimation.
The report suggests that the increase in attacks is related to the current sociopolitical climate in Israel, characterized by growing nationalism and an emphasis on Jewish identity, especially since the ultra-nationalist right-wing coalition came to power. This context has intensified violence in the West Bank and complicated the perception of the attacks, which are not always seen solely as aggressions against Christian identity.
The Rossing Center calls for joint actions to address this escalation of hostilities. It recommends training police and other authorities on Christianity, creating liaison bodies with church leaders, and including information about Christians in school curricula. Additionally, it urges Christians to report attacks and Jewish authorities and religious leaders to show solidarity and condemn these acts of violence.
The mission of the Rossing Center and its Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations is to promote peace, justice, and equality for Israelis and Palestinians and to foster religious, ethnic, and national diversity. Through its annual report, the center aims to raise awareness about intolerance towards Christians and contribute to justice in interreligious relations.
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