Israel offers condolences to Orthodox church after deadly attack in Damascus

By Lazar Berman

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23 June 2025, 12:14 pm

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Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

Syrian security forces stand guard outside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweil'a in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

After at least 22 worshipers were killed Sunday in a suicide attack on a Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus, Israel’s Interior Minister Moshe Arbel sends a letter of condolence to the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III.

“It is difficult to find words that can fully convey the magnitude of this tragedy, the boundless pain, and the shock that reverberates in the heart of every person who believes in peace and the dignity of humanity,” writes Arbel, from the ultra-Orthodox Shas party.

“The loss of innocent lives in a sacred space is a crime against the spirit and a profound violation of human values,” he writes.

The Greek Orthodox community is Israel’s second-largest Christian confession, representing about 30% of Israel’s Christians.

“We stand beside you in prayer, in solidarity, and in hope for a better and safer world. May their memory be a blessing,” Arbel concludes. “Wishing for days of light, justice, and peace.”