Abdel Raouf Arnaout
30 January 2023•Update: 31 January 2023
JERUSALEM
Israeli extremists have attacked Armenians in East Jerusalem, the latest acts of violence against Christians in the occupied city.
The attack took place late Saturday when two Israeli extremists tried to obstruct traffic on the street where the Armenian Patriarchate is located in Jerusalem's Old City.
Father Aghan Gogchian, chancellor of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said the two Israeli extremists also hit a car in which a group of young Armenians were on their way home from work.
Gogchian added in a Facebook post that the young Armenians were verbally attacked by the two extremists when they tried to ask why their car was hit.
"You don't have a neighborhood here. This is our country, get out of our country," one of the Israeli extremists shouted.
The other one blew a tear gas canister before the two ran away.
The young Armenians filed a complaint with the Israeli police, who arrested and interrogated the two extremists. One of them was released, while the other is still in custody.
Another group of Israeli extremists also attempted to climb onto the roof of the Armenian Patriarchate to remove the flags of the Patriarchate and the Republic of Armenia, but were prevented from doing so by young Armenians standing outside the monastery.
The Israeli police didn't comment on the report.
Christians in East Jerusalem have complained of increasing attacks by Israeli extremists on their sites in the city in recent months.
Earlier this month, Israeli settlers attacked a Christian cemetery on Mount Zion where Christians believe Jesus' Last Supper took place.
Saturday's attack came a day after at least seven Israelis were killed in a shooting near a synagogue in an Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem.
*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report.
