Dean and Armenian Orthodox Seminarians Attacked by Extremist Jews in Jerusalem

On Saturday, June 8, 2019, a group of Armenian Seminarians and the dean of the Seminary were attacked by three extremist Jews and their dog.

On that day in the afternoon a group of 20 students of the Armenian Theological Seminary, accompanied by the dean of the Seminary, left the Armenian Theological Seminary for the weekly procession in the Holy Sepulcher.

They were verbally and physically attacked by extremist Jews, which unfortunately happened for thousands of times and still continues to happen.

For many years the Armenian clergy gets spat on, verbally attacked and also physically attacked by extremist Jews.

On Saturday, June 8, in front of the Armenian Theological Seminary, three extremist Jews in regular attire (not wearing the haredi black and white clothing) spat on the group of Seminarians and shouted “Christians should die” and “we will wipe you out from this country”.

They then removed the muzzle from their dog’s mouth and ordered the dog to bite the priest who accompanied the Seminarians.

When their dog charged, the priest fell down on the ground. Some of the Seminarians took off their clerical robes, worn on top of regular clothes, to protect the priest from the attacking dog, in order to distract the dog.

The three extremist Jews themselves also attacked the group, while the Seminarians were shielding the priest from the vicious dog.

One of the extremist Jews assaulted a student and broke the Seminarian’s hand.

The extremist Jews then fled the scene and went to the Kishle, the police station in the Old City, and complaint against the Armenian clergy.

Immediately afterward the Armenian priest in charge went to the Police Station in the Old City to file an official complaint against the three extremist Jews; the priest who accompanied the group of students, as well as the Seminarian whose hand was broken by one of the extremist Jews, went with him.

The article in the Jewish Press about the attack is a pure lie and malicious slander, smearing our good name and harming the outstanding reputation of the Armenian Patriarchate.

The reactions in The Jewish Press on this slanderous article are defamatory and convey hate.

The Armenian Patriarchate has a report of their complaint against the three extremist Jews, a report of the visit to the emergency department at the hospital, including diagnosis and treatment, pictures of the wounded Seminary student in hospital, and the testimony of the group of Seminarians as eyewitnesses.

We live peacefully in this country and we are entitled of protection when attacked.

We call upon the Israeli government, the Jewish religious leaders, the Israeli police and all other authorities involved, to punish the perpetrators and to vehemently condemn this behavior against the Christians and especially against our Armenian community.

Source: OCP