Arsonists Burn Jerusalem Worship House
CBNNews.com
October 24, 2007
CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - Before dawn Wednesday, arsonists set fire to a place of worship shared by four Christian and Messianic Jewish congregations in central Jerusalem.
The arsonists apparently entered the building and threw something flammable in several areas throughout the building.
Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said the building sustained light to moderate damage, with charred floors and chairs and broken windows. No arrests have been made in the incident, and no one is certain about the motive for the attack.
The worship center was attacked in 1982 by an ultra-nationalist Jewish group, and was later rebuilt, according to Pastor Charles Kopp, who leads the Narkiss Street Congregation, one of the congregations meeting in the building. Kopp said the building was saved this time by the quick thinking of nearby Jewish neighbors, who called the fire department immediately.
The building is located in the tree-lined neighborhood of Rehavia, not far from the Prime Minister's Office. A growing number of ultra-Orthodox Jews have moved into nearby neighborhoods.
Kopp said, "We all still need to learn the lessons of tolerance and to accept the different among us. We don't suspect anyone specific, but they were extremists for sure."
Ofer Amitai, pastor of the El Roi Messianic congregation, called the incident "spiritual terrorism." Amitai told CBN News, "Just as no terrorism in the world is going to stop Israel's restoration, so no spiritual terrorism is going to stop God from pouring out His Spirit on His Body here."
The Jewish Anti-Defamation League condemned the attack, calling it an "apparent hate crime."
"We urged authorities to do everything in their power to protect all religious sites and see that the perpetrators for the crime are brought to justice," a spokesman for the group said.
Among those who attend worship at the site are international ministry workers, Russian Christians, Sudanese refugees who recently arrived from Egypt.
Sources: AP, The Jerusalem Post
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