[Friday, May 9, 2014] A number of Israeli vandals wrote anti-Christian graffiti, along with other anti-Arab graffiti, near a Roman Church in occupied Jerusalem, and on a wall in the Chains Gate area, in Jerusalem’s Old City.In a statement issued on Friday, the Israeli police said that Price Tag fanatics wrote graffiti, including slurs and insults against Jesus Christ, and Christianity, and fled the scene.

The Police added that other graffiti, such as “Death To Arabs”, was found on a wall and on a circuit box, in the Chain Gates area.

On Monday, other racist graffiti, including ‘Death to Arabs’, was located on a wall that belongs to the Assembly of Bishops of the Notre Dame Center, in occupied East Jerusalem.

The Roman Church in occupied Jerusalem said it is alarmed by the sharp increase in attacks and threats to Christians, especially as the Pope will be visiting Israel and Palestine later this month.

In a statement, bishops of the Roman Church said it is alarming that, while such attacks are taking place, and as more attacks indicate lack of security, Israeli political leaders remain unresponsive, adding that such attacks “are likely to escalate if the situation continues”.

On Tuesday, [April 29, 2014] In a letter delivered to the Latin Patriarch in the Holy Land, Paul Marcuzzo of Nazareth, an Israeli man, has said that all Christian priests, and Christians in Israel, must leave the country “or else a 100 Christians will be killed every hour of delay”.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported that the Israeli security services fear that Jewish radicals might carry out a major hate crime against the Christian population or institutions to drum up media attention during the Pope’s pilgrimage.

Police districts, the newspaper said, were ordered to produce security plans to protect Christian sites and gather intelligence on Jewish extremist activities.

A police spokesperson declined to comment directly on the report, but said stringent security measures would be in effect for the papal visit.

Related:

Catholic Church Demands Israel Stop Hate Attacks