8 people arrested for spitting at church in Jerusalem’s Old City, say police

Eight people were arrested last night on suspicion of spitting on a church in the Old City of Jerusalem, police say.

According to the police, the suspects include both adults and minors, and two of them were also arrested in connection with a similar incident that occurred two months earlier.

“We will not tolerate expressions of hatred toward anyone, Christians, Jews or Muslims, in the Old City or anywhere else in Jerusalem,” says Commander Dvir Tamim, chief of the David area of the police’s Jerusalem District. “We condemn this ugly phenomenon that harms the unique fabric of life that has existed in this area for many years, which includes visitors, worshippers and travelers of all religions, side by side.”

Tamim says tensions will be particularly heightened in the Old City in the coming period, with the start of Ramadan, and he calls for calm in the area. He also says that police will continue to use technological means, including high-tech cameras, to identify and catch suspects in such incidents since most go unreported.