Facts

• On Friday, Israeli police said they arrested two teenagers, aged 14 and 18, suspected of vandalizing a Protestant cemetery in Jerusalem on Jan. 1. The unidentified suspects are reportedly residents of central Israel.^[1]
• Jerusalem's Anglican Archbishop Hosam Naoum had condemned the desecration of the cemetery in Mount Zion on Wednesday, calling it a cowardly and disgusting act and a "clear hate crime" towards Christians.^[2]
• The cemetery, founded in 1848, is the burial place of 77 military personnel during the British Mandate period and prominent Christian leaders — including Samuel Gobat, the former Bishop of Jerusalem.^[3]
• The Anglican Church, suggesting the act of vandalism was motivated by religious bigotry, called for collaborative efforts to create a safer and more tolerant environment in Jerusalem, which is considered a holy city by Christians, Jews, and Muslims.^[4]
• The attack on the historic cemetery comes days after Israel swore in Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister, establishing the most far-right, religiously conservative government in the country's history.^[5]
• Nearly 16K Christians live in Jerusalem, the majority of whom are Palestinian. Though Israel claims Jerusalem as its eternal capital, Palestinians generally see east Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.^[6]