AFTER BEING ATTACKED IN OLD CITY BY JEWISH EXTREMISTS, MEMBERS OF THE ARMENIAN CLERGY FACE EXPULSION
Palestine News Network
Sept 8 2009
Jerusalem / Maisa Abu Ghazaleh for PNN - A group of Jewish extremists
attacked on Sunday afternoon two young Armenians and destroyed a cross
near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in East Jerusalem's Old City.
Israeli settlers such as these have attacked for years members of
the clergy in the Armenian Quarter. Today the Armenians who were
assaulted Sunday are not being protected, but rather expelled.
The Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights today denounced
the attack, just prior the Israeli-controlled municipality issuing
orders to shut down the center for another year.
A spokesman for the Armenian Patriarchate said Tuesday that the two men
who were attacked are still being held. The attackers are free. Israeli
police arrested the men after they resisted the extremists. Now the
occupying Israeli administration may expel the Christians under the
pretext they carry Armenian nationality.
The Armenian Patriarchate sent an urgent message to Israeli President
Shimon Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging
them to nullify the expulsion decision.
The spokesman for the Patriarch confirmed that incidents of abuse
and provocation of young Armenians by Jewish fundamentalists are
"constantly repeated." He denounced the expulsion order that was
issued quickly and without trial.
The two young men are students studying religious teachings. They
are just 18 years of age.
The Jerusalem Center said today that the Israeli police that occupy
Jerusalem should have stopped the Jewish extremists who continue to
attack the clergy in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City. "These
attacks have been going on for years, but the Israeli police have
done nothing to stop them despite the seriousness of the attacks
which take place as part of the wider issue of religious racism."
Palestine News Network
Sept 8 2009
Jerusalem / Maisa Abu Ghazaleh for PNN - A group of Jewish extremists
attacked on Sunday afternoon two young Armenians and destroyed a cross
near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in East Jerusalem's Old City.
Israeli settlers such as these have attacked for years members of
the clergy in the Armenian Quarter. Today the Armenians who were
assaulted Sunday are not being protected, but rather expelled.
The Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights today denounced
the attack, just prior the Israeli-controlled municipality issuing
orders to shut down the center for another year.
A spokesman for the Armenian Patriarchate said Tuesday that the two men
who were attacked are still being held. The attackers are free. Israeli
police arrested the men after they resisted the extremists. Now the
occupying Israeli administration may expel the Christians under the
pretext they carry Armenian nationality.
The Armenian Patriarchate sent an urgent message to Israeli President
Shimon Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging
them to nullify the expulsion decision.
The spokesman for the Patriarch confirmed that incidents of abuse
and provocation of young Armenians by Jewish fundamentalists are
"constantly repeated." He denounced the expulsion order that was
issued quickly and without trial.
The two young men are students studying religious teachings. They
are just 18 years of age.
The Jerusalem Center said today that the Israeli police that occupy
Jerusalem should have stopped the Jewish extremists who continue to
attack the clergy in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City. "These
attacks have been going on for years, but the Israeli police have
done nothing to stop them despite the seriousness of the attacks
which take place as part of the wider issue of religious racism."