The Israeli government has vowed to crack down on religious Jews who insult and spit at Christians.
In a statement issued Oct. 12, Interior Minister Avraham Poraz condemned recent incidents in which Jewish seminary students, many of them Americans studying in Israel, spat at Christian clergy during processions through the Old City of Jerusalem. Poraz expressed “revulsion” and called the situation intolerable, vowing to take action to prevent future incidents.
The latest incident occurred Oct. 17, when an ultra-Orthodox yeshiva student studying in the Old City spat at a cross carried by Armenian Archbishop Nourhan Manougian as he led a procession near the community’s church. Jerusalem police said a scuffle ensued between the student and Manougian, who slapped the student after the latter damaged the medallion the archbishop was wearing. The student was arrested and barred from entering the Old City for 75 days. The archbishop was questioned by the police.
“It happens whenever they see a Christian procession or a Christian clergyman,” Manougian said, referring to the small minority of fervently religious Jews who continue the age-old custom of spitting at the sight of Christian symbols. The exact origins of this practice are unknown.
Manougian said “sometimes they spit, sometimes they cut through the procession. They have thrown garbage in front of churches and broken the crosses on tombstones.”
The archbishop expressed appreciation for Poraz’s statement, but insisted “the Israeli government must do more to stop [this].”
Although the practice of spitting is reportedly encouraged — or at the very least tolerated — at certain ultra-Orthodox seminaries, mainstream religious leaders abhor the practice. Such conduct is “a desecration of the divine Name” and also liable to contribute to anti-Semitism in the Diaspora,” said Rabbi Yisrael Lau, former chief rabbi of Israel.
Acording to the Israel office of the American Jewish Committee, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupoliansky plans to appoint an adviser to deal with the problem of Jewish harassment of religious minorities in Jerusalem.
The adviser will submit a comprehensive program aimed at improving interreligious relations in the city. (RNS)
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