The Israel Jewish Coalition for Interfaith Relations (IJCIR) condemns the recent acts of bigotry and hatred against the Armenian clergy in Jerusalem. It calls for immediate attention and action to stop these repeated acts of violence against innocent Armenian clergy and laypersons there, Standard Newswire reports.
The statements reads:
The recurring acts of spitting, shouting and graffiti against Armenian clergy in the Old City of Jerusalem have no place in our Jewish democratic State in the Holy Land. These ugly intolerant acts violate the fundamental values of Israel and Judaism and betray our commitment that all humans are created in the Image of God. Because they are created in the Divine Image, all persons are holy and must be treated with dignity and respect.
And as Jews we have a specific obligation not to oppress the stranger in our society.
Protesting these terrible acts is not enough. We demand that the police apprehend and punish the offenders. There is no excuse for delay or inaction. These acts of bigotry will only stop when swift and consistent action is taken to try and punish the offenders.
The extremists who perpetrate these criminal acts bring shame on the Jewish people, the State of Israel, the city of Jerusalem, its government and its police. We must act now to safeguard the stability of our society and protect the basic values of the Holy City and the State of Israel.”
