New episode of “spitting” against Christians in the Old City of Jerusalem by two Orthodox Jews. This was reported by Wadie Abunassar, spokesperson for the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land. The spitting – according to the same source – was directed yesterday towards Nikodemus Schnabel, abbot of the Dormition of Jerusalem.
The other Orthodox – according to Abunassar – instead insulted Jesus. The two, including a minor under 17, were stopped by the police. Images released by Abunassar show the Benedictine abbot Schnabel while – near the street of the Armenian Patriarchate, in the Old City of Jerusalem – he is harassed by some young Orthodox people, who then try to prevent him from filming them with his cell phone. Some insults in Hebrew are also thrown towards him.
“It was a clear aggression – said Abunassar – following which it is necessary that we now hear a strong and clear condemnation from the political and religious leaders of Israel”. According to Abunassar, in the last two years such episodes have ended without punitive measures for those responsible. Abunassar praised the Israeli police for acting in this circumstance with great promptness and expressed the hope that a strong message will now be issued by the judges, which will discourage the repetition of these cases. However, he added, this must also be combined with a “clear educational commitment”.