Arson suspected in Catholic church fire
Extensive damage to one of most visited Christian sites in Holy Land causes outrage
TABGHA, Israel — A fire ripped through one of the most famous Catholic churches in the Holy Land on Thursday, damaging the roof and burning prayer books in what authorities believe is an attack by Jewish extremists.
The fire broke out at the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes in the middle of the night, causing extensive damage to the building, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
The modern building was constructed on the remains of a fifth-century Byzantine Church. It features a Byzantine mosaic floor that was not harmed.
The church marks the traditional spot of Jesus’ miracle of the loaves and fishes, and is located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. It is one of the most popular stops for Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land.
Father Gregory Collins, head of the Order of Saint Benedict in Israel, which maintains the site, said more than 5,000 people visit the church daily. He said the church would be closed for the next three days as a result of the fire damage.
“It’s deplorable, absolutely deplorable. I consider such an attack to be not just an attack on a religious site, on a sanctuary, but also on one of the most visited places in Israel,” Collins said. “It is also an attack on freedom of speech, democracy and the right to live here.”
Father Matthias Karl, a German monk at the church, said a souvenir shop, an office for pilgrims and a meeting room were badly damaged, and bibles and prayer books were destroyed.
“It’s totally destroyed. The fire was very active,” he said. The prayer area of the church was unaffected.
A monk and a church volunteer were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
A passage from a Jewish prayer, calling for the elimination of idol worship, was found scrawled in red spray paint on a wall outside the church.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident and ordered the head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency “to conduct a full and speedy investigation.”
“This morning’s outrageous arson attack on a church is an attack on us all. In Israel, freedom of worship is one of our core values and is guaranteed under the law,” Netanyahu
“Those responsible for this despicable crime will face the full force of the law. Hate and in tolerance have no place in our society.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU
ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER
said. “Those responsible for this despicable crime will face the full force of the law. Hate and intolerance have no place in our society.”
Police said they initially arrested 16 youths, all religious Jewish seminary students from West Bank settlements, but released them shortly thereafter. Their lawyer, Itamar Ben Gvir, said the police had no evidence against the youths and that they were under suspicion simply for looking like young settlers.
In recent years, mosques and churches have been targeted by vandals in similar attacks. They are often attributed to extremist Jews from West Bank settlements. Last year, a group of mostly Jewish youth attacked the Church of the Multiplication’s outdoor prayer area along the Sea of Galilee, pelting worshippers with stones and destroying a cross.