Italy Addresses Attacks on Christian Community in Jerusalem

(MENAFN) On Friday, Italy’s foreign minister renewed his appeal to Israeli authorities to ensure religious liberty after an extremist Israeli attacked a French nun in Jerusalem. He warned that signs of increasing hostility toward the Christian population in the region were becoming more apparent.

Antonio Tajani posted on the social media platform X that "It is now evident that a picture of growing hostility toward the Christian community in Israel, in Gaza, in the West Bank, and in southern Lebanon is emerging," highlighting what he described as an escalating pattern of concern.

According to Israeli police, a 36-year-old Israeli suspect was detained following the assault on the French nun in East Jerusalem, an incident they classified as "racially motivated." The episode has drawn renewed attention to tensions affecting religious figures in the area.

Tajani further emphasized that Italy continues to urge the Israeli government to uphold religious freedom and safeguard the presence of Christian communities. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in attacks by Israelis targeting Muslim and Christian clergy as well as religious sites in Jerusalem, prompting repeated calls from church leaders for stronger and more decisive action from Israeli authorities.

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