A pair of Israeli teenagers have been arrested following the vandalisation of a Christian cemetery in Jerusalem.
Members of the Mount Zion church forwarded video footage of two individuals vandalising headstones to police last week.
Three commonwealth graves of Palestinian police officers were among those damaged.
וידאו, שני יהודים משחיתים קברים בבית הקברות הפרוטסטנטי בהר ציון, אתמול. pic.twitter.com/NnCBvGkL6U
— نير حسون Nir Hasson ניר חסון (@nirhasson) January 3, 2023
Two Jewish youngsters, aged 14 and 18 respectively, were arrested on suspicion of vandalism of the cemetery, Israeli police announced on Friday.
Last Tuesday, 3 January police received a complaint regarding damage to over 30 graves and headstones across the Protestant graveyard owned by the Church of England, cemetery.
On Wednesday the British Consulate in Jerusalem said the UK was "dismayed at the attack."
"This is the latest in a string of attacks against Christians and their property in and around the Old City. The perpetrators of religiously motivated attacks should be held accountable."
The UK is dismayed at the attack on the Jerusalem Protestant Cemetery on Mount Zion. This is the latest in a string of attacks against Christians and their property in and around the Old City. The perpetrators of religiously motivated attacks should be held accountable.
— UKinJerusalem🇬🇧 (@UKinJerusalem) January 4, 2023
Forensic experts and criminal investigators surveyed the scene for evidence and concluded that deliberate vandalism had taken place. Police subsequently located the identities of the alleged perpetrators, and made two arrests on Monday evening.
The pair are scheduled to be detained for an extended period in Jerusalem's Magistrate's Court.
Last Thursday Jerusalem District Commander Doron Turgeman met with Greek Patriarch Theapoulos III and his secretary Archbishop Aristarchus, expressing Israeli police’s dedication to bringing the suspects to justice.
Mr Turgeman offered to aid in repairing the damage to the scene. "As police for all residents and visitors to Jerusalem, Jews, Muslims, and Christians, we act against violence and vandalism," he stressed.
"Any damage to religious institutions and sites is serious and undermines the life that exists in the city for members of all religions and faiths. We will continue to be committed to maintaining security and order, to fight with determination and without compromise against violators wherever they are," he continued.
