Jerusalem's own Notre Dame lights up in solidarity with Paris

French flag is projected onto massive complex next to Old City walls; Mayor Moshe Lion offers Parisians ‘a warm embrace’

The Jerusalem municipality projected a French flag onto the walls of the city’s own Notre Dame center on Thursday in a sign of solidarity with Paris, following Monday’s devastating fire at the iconic French cathedral.

“The city of Jerusalem and its residents are saddened by the difficult events that took place at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. We extend our sympathies, and are sending a warm embrace to the French people from our capital, Jerusalem. For the next 24 hours, Jerusalem’s Notre Dame will be lit with the colors of the French flag,” Jerusalem mayor Moshe Lion said.

The hotel, restaurant and conference complex is owned by the Vatican and is located just outside the Old City’s New Gate.

The compound opened as a center for Christian pilgrims in 1888 and today continues to welcome clergy and other members of the church to Jerusalem, according to its website.

On Monday, Israeli president Reuven Rivlin offered condolences to Paris following the fire.

“The Notre Dame [cathedral] is among the most beautiful of Paris’s symbols and of France’s in general, but also one of the most important to any cultured person,” Rivlin said in a tweet.

Acting Foreign Minister Israel Katz also tweeted his solidarity.

“On behalf of the State of Israel, I would like to express my deepest solidarity with France and the French nation over the terrible fire at Notre Dame, a world symbol of civilization,” he said.

Paris police investigators think an electrical short-circuit most likely caused the fire, a judicial police official said Thursday.

Investigators so far believe the fire was accidental, and are questioning both cathedral staff and workers who were carrying out renovations. Some 40 people had been questioned by Thursday, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.

President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants Notre Dame to be restored in five years, in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics, which Paris is hosting. Restoration specialists have questioned the ambitious timeline, with some saying it could take three times that long to rebuild the 850-year-old architectural treasure.

Earlier Thursday, Macron held a ceremony at the Elysee Palace to thank the hundreds of firefighters who battled the fast-moving fire at Notre Dame for nine hours starting Monday evening, preventing the structure’s destruction and rescuing many of the important relics held inside.

“We’ve seen before our eyes the right things perfectly organized in a few moments, with responsibility, courage, solidarity and a meticulous organization,” Macron said. “The worst has been avoided.”

The cathedral’s lead roof and its soaring spire were destroyed, but Notre Dame’s iconic bell towers, rose windows, organ and precious artworks were saved.

Macron said the firefighters will receive an Honor Medal for their courage and devotion.

Paris City Hall also held a ceremony in the firefighters’ honor Thursday afternoon, with a Bach violin concert, two giant banners strung from the monumental city headquarters and readings from Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Remarkably, no one was killed in the blaze that broke out as the cathedral was in the initial stages of a lengthy restoration.