An American tourist in his 40s was arrested by police for hitting a wooden statue of Jesus in the Chapel of the Flagellation in Jerusalem, first step of the Via Dolorosa. This was confirmed by the police spokesman.
The fact was also denounced on Twitter by father Nicodemus SchnabelPatriarchal Vicar who defined the man “an extremist Jew” and published a video on social media.
The guardian of the chapel, Majid al-Rishq explained to the agency Afp that “a Jewish man armed with a hammer struck the statue. I managed to grab him and pull him away but he knocked the statue over, breaking it.” The police intervened and launched an investigation into the facts and mental state of the American tourist.
“We follow with concern and firmly condemn this growing sequence of serious acts of hatred and violence against the Christian community in Israel”, said the Custody of the Holy Land, in a note signed by Brother Francesco Patton and the secretary Father Alberto Joan Pari.