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[dripdripsplash]

http://www.afp.com/en/news/israel-hate-crimes-poison-atmosphere-pope-visit

The head of the Roman Catholic church in the Holy Land said Sunday that Israeli hate crimes against local Muslims and Christians are souring relations ahead of a papal visit.
"The unrestrained acts of vandalism poison the atmosphere -- the atmosphere of co-existence and the atmosphere of collaboration, especially in these two weeks prior to the visit of Pope Francis," Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal said.
"It is also a blight on the democracy that Israel ascribes to itself," he said at a news conference in the northern port city of Haifa, ahead of an annual procession in honour of the Virgin Mary.
The pope's visit is scheduled to begin in Jordan on May 24, and he is due to spend two days in the Holy Land from May 25.
On Friday, vandals spray-painted anti-Christian graffiti on a Jerusalem church, days after the Roman Catholic church demanded Israel act following the discovery of racist slogans daubed on a Vatican-owned property elsewhere in the city.
"The bishops are very concerned about the lack of security and lack of responsiveness from the political sector, and fear an escalation of violence," the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said Wednesday in a statement.
After last week's attack, Israeli police boosted security around holy sites.
Israel has been struggling to contain the spiralling number of so-called "price tag" hate crimes by Jewish extremists targeting Palestinian and Arab property, including mosques and churches.
Although police have made scores of arrests, there have been no successful prosecutions for price tag attacks, and the government has come under mounting pressure to authorise the Shin Bet internal security agency to intervene.
On Sunday evening, about 200 people rallied outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's official Jerusalem residence to protest against the attacks, an AFP photographer said.
Among them were Israeli Arabs from the town of Fureidis, where last month anti-Muslim graffiti was painted on a mosque and tyres of parked cars were slashed.
Also present were Christians, secular leftist Israelis and several wearing Orthodox Jewish skullcaps.
- Increase in attacks -
Police, in a joint operation with the Shin Bet, arrested two Israeli men on Sunday on suspicion of committing hate crimes.
"There were two guys that were arrested by police who are suspected of being involved in criminal activity from nationalist motives," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.
"They are being questioned in connection with a number of incidents".
Police and the Shin Bet have reportedly been concerned Jewish extremists could increase attacks on Christian sites ahead of the pope's arrival in an attempt to attract media attention.
While Rosenfeld acknowledged "a definite increase" in hate crimes against churches and mosques recently, he stressed it was not yet clear whether the spike was down to the papal visit or other factors.
"It's difficult for me to say yes or no, black or white," he said.
In a sign of roiling tensions, Jerusalem police -- at the request of municipal officials -- asked a Franciscan centre just inside the Old City walls to take down a large banner welcoming Pope Francis in English, Arabic and Hebrew, informed sources said.
Twal took the Israeli authorities to task for what he saw as laxity in pursuing the perpetrators.
"How can it be that they don't catch the perpetrators?" he asked, saying the attacks were "only drawing condemnation" from Israel's leaders but resulting in few arrests.
"Given that the vandals are largely unprosecuted, one must question the priority of the government to get to the bottom of the problem," he said.
Israeli ministers held an emergency meeting on Wednesday, pledging to enforce harsh measures against perpetrators.
"We are encouraged by the fact that Justice Minister Tzipi Livni held an emergency meeting to combat this senseless vandalism," Twal said.
"Hopefully, the issue does not remain solely a matter of sound bites and round table discussion. Until these words become acts, we remain sceptical."

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

As much as I dislike some of the policies Israel has implemented, catholicism (not so much this Pope) is in no position to chuck stones given their history with Judaism and Islam.

 

[Pollux]

As much as I dislike some of the policies Israel has implemented, catholicism (not so much this Pope) is in no position to chuck stones given their history with Judaism and Islam.

By your logic, nobody should condemn anything, ever.

 

[richiek]

Misleading thread title is misleading.

 

[Hypron]

By your logic, nobody should condemn anything, ever.

Yeah. These types of blanket comments are annoying and never lead anywhere.

 

[Chumly]

By your logic, nobody should condemn anything, ever.

Yep it's one of the worst arguments on the internet. Regularly used for against the United States and you can pretty much use it against anyone.

 

[RELAYER]

By your logic, nobody should condemn anything, ever.

Except atheists, of course.

 

[Partial Gamification]

Misleading thread title is misleading.

Maybe its the article's title being translated from French, and maybe some liberties taken during that process.
"Israël: l’Eglise dénonce une «atmosphère empoisonnée» par le vandalisme antichrétien"
'The Church denounces the 'poisoned atmosphere' from the antichristian vandalism.'
http://www.liberation.fr/monde/2014...sonnee-par-le-vandalisme-antichretien_1015329

Anti-christian vandalism gets ported from French to English and becomes hate-crime. Its not that misleading if vandalism against such groups are considered hate crimes, think swastikas spray painted on a synagogue.

 

[Fuzzery]

As much as I dislike some of the policies Israel has implemented, catholicism (not so much this Pope) is in no position to chuck stones given their history with Judaism and Islam.

So he should just ignore the issue and not speak out?

 

[richiek]

Maybe its the article's title being translated from French, and maybe some liberties taken during that process.
"Israël: l’Eglise dénonce une «atmosphère empoisonnée» par le vandalisme antichrétien"
'The Church denounces the 'poisoned atmosphere' from the antichristian vandalism.'
http://www.liberation.fr/monde/2014...sonnee-par-le-vandalisme-antichretien_1015329

Anti-christian vandalism gets ported from French to English and becomes hate-crime. Its not that misleading if vandalism against such groups are considered hate crimes, think swastikas spray painted on a synagogue.

I meant the fact that the thread title leads the reader to think Pope Francis made the statement, when he clearly did not.

 

[Partial Gamification]

I meant the fact that the thread title leads the reader to think Pope Francis made the statement, when he clearly did not.

Even the French article credits "The Church" when its:

The head of the Roman Catholic church in the Holy Land said Sunday that Israeli hate crimes against local Muslims and Christians are souring relations ahead of a papal visit.
"The unrestrained acts of vandalism poison the atmosphere -- the atmosphere of co-existence and the atmosphere of collaboration, especially in these two weeks prior to the visit of Pope Francis," Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal said.

Explicitly stated in the first two paragraphs. I see what you mean, the title does look more like a quote than a Pope-related news item.

 

[dripdripsplash]

I apologize for the thread title and if anyone felt misled by it. Can a mod please edit as it was a patriarch of the church that said it.

 

[BaronLundi]

Complete misrepresentation indeed. The Pope didn't say anything and, more importantly, the crimes mentionned are not attributed to Israel but to a group of extremists in Israel.

Those are racist crimes though and I hope the government will take serious action against the perpetrators

 

[HK-47]

Fix dat title.

 

[YoungHav]

The Catholic church poisons the atmosphere of childrens' private parts. Tend to your own flock, Pope man.

 

[Freedom = $1.05]

The Catholic church poisons the atmosphere of childrens' private parts. Tend to your own flock, Pope man.

You're going to have to explain how that has something to do with this visit for me because if i scratch my head any harder in wonderment I'll go real bald.

 

[P. Fembot]

Misleading thread it seems

 

[P44]

As much as I dislike some of the policies Israel has implemented, catholicism (not so much this Pope) is in no position to chuck stones given their history with Judaism and Islam.

The Catholic church poisons the atmosphere of childrens' private parts. Tend to your own flock, Pope man.

You lads might need to do some critical thinking classes. If someone who has done something bad in the past (in this case an organisation) calls for something good (end of hate crimes in Israel) this is a good thing. It does not become bad just because of who is calling for it.

Jesus.

 

[Mistouze]

As much as I dislike some of the policies Israel has implemented, catholicism (not so much this Pope) is in no position to chuck stones given their history with Judaism and Islam.

The Catholic church poisons the atmosphere of childrens' private parts. Tend to your own flock, Pope man.

In this moment, I feel euphoric.

 

[Heshinsi]

Has racism and religious attacks by individuals ever stopped the Pope from visiting another country? Why single out Israel when the Vatican is inside a country where bananas are thrown at football players? That happened yesterday in Milan in case someone was wondering.

 

[dripdripsplash]

Has racism and religious attacks by individuals ever stopped the Pope from visiting another country? Why single out Israel when the Vatican is inside a country where bananas are thrown at football players? That happened yesterday in Milan in case someone was wondering.

I think because these crimes are being enacted on churches, something directly relating to the Vatican itself and not for example a football stadium.

 

[Casimir]

Has racism and religious attacks by individuals ever stopped the Pope from visiting another country? Why single out Israel when the Vatican is inside a country where bananas are thrown at football players? That happened yesterday in Milan in case someone was wondering.

A yokel throwing a banana at one player is less disconcerting than multiple acts of organized racism fuelled vandalism and harassment against entire groups? Not that small instances of racism are okay, mind you.

 

[Kite]

What is this, r/worldnews with misleading titles?

 

[Pollux]

The Catholic church poisons the atmosphere of childrens' private parts. Tend to your own flock, Pope man.

And this has anything to do with vandalism of churches in Israel.....how?

BREAKING NEWS: YoungHav with an incredibly off topic comment in a thread about religion - you do this shit so often it's routine by now

 

[Cheesecakebobby]

Hope the perpetrators will be dealt with swiftly. Israel is by and large a good place to be a Christian, there's a reason why the number increased there while decreasing in the neighbouring countries.

 

[Stinkles]

In this moment, I feel euphoric.

Agnosticism intensifying.

 

[Heshinsi]

I think because these crimes are being enacted on churches, something directly relating to the Vatican itself and not for example a football stadium.

That was just one example of something that just happened. Church and Mosque desecration happen everywhere. Yet this is the first time I've heard the Church stating that something is "poisoning" the atmosphere shortly before a papal visit. They're acting as if these are state sanctioned attacks and not the work of deranged individuals. Was the Vatican making the same comments when the previous Pope visited Istanbul? You know a city in a country where Christians have been killed over the Muhammad cartoons, and Jewish religious centres bombed on occasion.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

By your logic, nobody should condemn anything, ever.

This.

Every religion/culture/whatever has done bad things. But to say one can't speak out now when wrong is being done now is silly.

 

[Partial Gamification]

That was just one example of something that just happened. Church and Mosque desecration happen everywhere. Yet this is the first time I've heard the Church stating that something is "poisoning" the atmosphere shortly before a papal visit. They're acting as if these are state sanctioned attacks and not the work of deranged individuals. Was the Vatican making the same comments when the previous Pope visited Istanbul? You know a city in a country where Christians have been killed over the Muhammad cartoons, and Jewish religious centres bombed on occasion.

I thought the timing of this statement could relate to the push toward the declaration of Israel as an expressed Jewish Nation-State, moving from a pursuit of a more pluralistic secular democracy, and general failure of the recent peace talks between the Israeli government and the Palestinian authorities. The sentiments promoting an exclusive Jewish nationalism stir up unrest, and have varying degrees of charged delivery. The rhetorical question about Istanbul just tries to discredit the messenger and not examine the message presented in the OP.