Vandals scrawl anti-Christian message at Jerusalem holy site
Suspected Jewish extremists early today desecrated a landmark Christian holy site in Jerusalem, known as the Dormition Abbey.
Vandals wrote anti-Christian slogans in Hebrew on the outer wall, including "Christians to hell," police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said.
Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan ordered the police to "prioritise" the investigation into the perpetrators.
"We will not allow anyone to disrupt the co-existence between religions in the state of Israel," he said.
Dormition Abbey, built at the beginning of the 20th century over the ruins of a Byzantine church, is a Benedictine complex located on the spot where Christians believe Mary, the mother of Jesus, died.
Pope Francis's celebrated mass there during his 2014 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Shortly after the Pope left, a visitor book was set ablaze by an anonymous arsonist.
Pope Paul VI also visited the abbey during his celebrated 1964 pilgrimage.
- dpa
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