Rivlin expresses shock at Greek church arson

President Reuven Rivlin calls Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem to express his sadness and shock at the arson and graffiti attack on a building within the Greek Orthodox compound on Mount Zion.

“It is inconceivable that an act like this could happen in a house of prayer; this is a heinous crime, there must be an investigation and those responsible must be brought to justice. Such criminals not only threaten to set fire to places of worship holy to all of us, but ignite the regional powder keg upon which we all sit,” Rivlin says.

“The protection and conservation of the holy sites, both those holy for us and those holy for others, is our obligation as a state and as a society, and we cannot allow such attacks to sabotage the common fabric of our lives here. We all have a responsibility to put an end to these terrible acts,” he continues.