16 Jewish youths arrested
Originally published in CBN News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decried an early morning arson attack on Thursday (June 19, 2015) on the Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee.
“This morning’s outrageous arson attack on a church is an attack on us all,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “In Israel freedom of worship is one of our core values and is guaranteed under the law. Those responsible for this despicable crime will face the full force of the law. Hate and intolerance have no place in our society.”
Netanyahu instructed the Head of Israel Security Agency Yoram Cohen to conduct a “full and speedy investigation” of the attack.
Israel pledges to rebuild church
Levin told CBN News Israel pledged to rebuild the church.
“I think it is an awful thing. I ordered immediately that we would help the people of the church, to do everything that is needed to reconstruct it,” he said. A representative of our ministry is on the ground there in the Galilee to see everything, in order to make sure that everything will be rebuilt immediately. I’m sure those extremists who did these things will be caught. And I can assure everyone that Israel is a place that welcomes everyone from every religion. As you can see here it may be the safest place in the world for tourists.”
Police arrested 16 youth suspected of taking part in the attack. The Catholic Benedictine Order is in charge of the historic building, with its famous fifth-century mosaic of the loaves and the fishes. The church commemorates Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000.
Fox News reports that the nationalist crimes unit of the Israeli police’s West Bank settlement division is investigating the incident. The youths arrested are all religious Jewish seminary students from West Bank settlements. Their lawyer, Itamar Ben Gvir, told Israeli Army Radio the police had no evidence against the youths and that they were under suspicion simply for looking like young settlers.
The fire, set early Thursday morning, caused significant damage to the roof, several offices, a community room and a storage room housing books. Two of the 12 volunteers at the church were treated for smoke inhalation at a hospital and later released.
The attackers scribbled “the worshippers of idols be destroyed” on a wall.
I am saddened to read of what has happened to this lovely church in Galilee. I have visited this church in this, the most beautiful place in the world. I am happy to read that the church will soon be restored to its former glory. I hope that the perpetrators will suffer deep remorse and turn from their wrongdoing.