Attacks in Israel
Sir: I refer to the article 'Eyeless in Gaza' by A. N. Wilson (9 April).
Mr Wilson makes a number of allega- tions concerning what he calls 'the very anti-Christian bias of the present regime' in Israel, and these need urgent clarification.
Mr Wilson writes: 'Last Christmas in Jerusalem, Jewish arsonists twice attacked and finally destroyed the Anglican Church of St Paul's. When the (Palestinian) Bishop of Jerusalem, Samir Katify, complained to the authorities they in effect shrugged and turned a blind eye.' The facts contradict Mr Wilson's description of events. The fire brigade responded promptly and damage to St Paul's was limited. The responsible Israeli authorities were at the scene of the attack within the hour, the Minister for Religious Affairs was informed and urged the Police to apprehend the criminal(s) and two hours after the attack had taken place, it was reported on Israel Radio. In the weeks following the attack, govern- ment, municipal and police officials met with the Bishop and offered to help repair the damage and three months after the
LETTERS
incident, police investigation resulted in the arrest of a 17-year-old Jewish youth, who has confessed to this and some 13 other crimes. I do not regard the actions on the part of the Israeli authorities in these circumstances as 'shrugging and turning a blind eye'.
Mr Wilson continues: 'A Baptist Church in Acre was also burnt down and destroyed by the same fanatical group who, five years ago, murdered a party of Russian nuns and butchered a Christian priest at Jacob's Well.' What is common to all three cases is the condemnation by the Israeli authorities of the attacks, the prompt and intensive investigations launched by the police and the successful apprehension and conviction of the perpetrators (except in the Acre case). However, Mr Wilson's assertion that one and the same Jewish fanatical group committed all three crimes is untrue.
In the case of the two Russian nuns, the Perpetrator was a 30-year-old American Christian named Aloysious Jay Garrow. Mr Garrow claimed he heard 'spiritual voices' urging him to go to Israel and instructing him to murder the Russian nuns. In the case of the priest murdered at Jacob's Well, an Israeli Jew was apprehended; however, he was not a mem- ber of some fanatical group but rather a Pathological killer also found guilty of the brutal axe murders of a Jewish doctor in Tel Aviv and a Muslim fortune-teller from Ramla.
Eviatar Manor Press Counsellor, Embassy of Israel, 2 Palace Green, London W8
Previous page
