Jerusalem: Two teenagers were detained by Israeli police on Friday after they were accused of damaging more than twenty-four Christian graves at a revered Jerusalem cemetery earlier this week.
The Protestant cemetery's Christian graves were discovered on Sunday, their foundations pulled and the city's Christian minority outraged and condemned from around the world. The cemetery, which is more than 170 years old, is home to notable members of the military and clergy in the holy city.
Late Thursday, the Palestinian Affairs Office at the US embassy expressed "concern" over the second attack on the religious site in ten years. The office said vandalizing a place of worship is unacceptable for anyone. Jerusalem needs to serve all its citizens.
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The alleged vandals, who were identified by Israeli police as 18 and 14 years old and residents of central Israel, were not given names. During the attack security camera footage captured two youths knocking over crosses, vandalizing tombstones, and throwing debris at graves, while donning a Jewish skullcap and tzitzit, which are worn by Jews. There were knotty rituals to go.
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Police described the act as "deliberate vandalism", calling any damage to religious institutions and sites serious and detrimental to the city's distinctive and delicate life. On Friday, a Jerusalem court held a hearing to keep the two teenagers in custody.
It has been condemned by the Anglican Church in Jerusalem as the most recent act of hatred against the Christian community in Jerusalem during the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.