Jewish groups protest at Last Supper site in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM — Jewish religious and nationalist groups demonstrated May 22 to demand that the Israeli government not cede sovereignty or control of the Cenacle, traditionally considered the site of Jesus’ Last Supper.

Located on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, the Cenacle, which means dinner, sits directly above David’s Tomb, the place many Jews believe the biblical King David is buried. Ultra-Orthodox Jews pray in the lower chamber on a daily basis.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said the government “has no intention to grant the Vatican ownership or sovereignty over the Tomb of David or the Cenacle. These are baseless allegations.”

Israeli police say rumors related to a possible transfer of authority likely triggered vandalism against Christian institutions. The vandals scrawled graffiti declaring “King David is for the Jews, Jesus is garbage” on a wall opposite a Jerusalem church.

The same week, a Roman Catholic official discovered the words “Death to Arabs, Christians and all those who hate Israel” spray-painted in Hebrew on a column in front of Jerusalem’s Notre Dame Center. The center is the property of the Vatican.