Palestine condemns derogatory spitting on Christians

By Tarisai Mudahondo

The State of Palestine condemns the continued incursions by extremist Israeli settlers into Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites under Israeli occupation forces protection. This was followed by extremist settlers “spitting on non-Jews” especially Christian citizens and tourists. Attacks against Christians have 100% increased this year, and not just spitting, but throwing stones, vandalizing Christian signs and symbols, attempting to burn churches, prevention of Christians to attend religious ceremonies like Christmas and Easter.

The State of Palestine stresses that these attacks fall within the framework of the Israeli government’s attempt to judaize Jerusalem, a reflection of the culture of illegal occupation encompassed by apartheid, hatred and racism that is perpetrated by Israeli senior government officials, extreme religious schools, whose followers are proud of practicing this derogatory behaviour.

These provocations by the Israeli occupation authorities and the settlers are a dangerous approach aimed at detonating the situation which will lead to dangerous repercussions whose results no one can predict. The rising intolerance by extreme Israeli settlers that violate Israel’s stated commitment to freedom of worship begins with spitting may then turn into hitting and killing of non-Jews especially Christians.

The Israeli occupation authorities are trying to create new realities in East Jerusalem, Palestine stresses that the apartheid occupation government must know very well that Jerusalem with its sanctities is a Palestinian Arab land, and all its attempts will fail to change the nature, history, and identity of Jerusalem. There will be no security and stability without sovereignty and the approval of the Palestinian people and its leadership.