Israeli settlers spit at Armenian church entrance in Jerusalem
Middle East Monitor
An Armenian Apostolic priest guards the “Immovable Ladder” under one of the windows of the church of the Holy
Sepulchre, in Jerusalem, on April 29, 2021. [EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images]
The entrance of the Armenian Church in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem witnessed a new assault on Sunday,
carried out by Israeli settlers. Surveillance camera footage and eyewitness testimonies showed several of them
deliberately spitting in front of the church entrance, in a provocative attack that violates freedom of worship and
targets Christian holy sites.
Local sources said Israeli occupation forces also raided the town of al-Issawiya, northeast of occupied Jerusalem,
and the al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The occupation forces were deployed in
streets and residential areas, causing tension among residents.
The sources added that the occupation municipality in Jerusalem imposed a fine of 5,000 shekels on the manager
of the post office in Silwan, claiming that a “no smoking” sign was not displayed, despite the sign being inside the
office. The move was seen as part of ongoing administrative pressure targeting Palestinian institutions.
In the same context, Israeli forces raided shops in the Ain al-Lawza neighborhood in Silwan and checked the
identities of workers. This disrupted commercial activity and caused losses to local businesses.
These incidents come amid a series of continued violations targeting the holy city and its residents, as part of an
ongoing escalation by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinian neighbourhoods and holy sites.
