The Anglican Church has expressed “dismay” over an attack on a Christian cemetery close to Jerusalem’s walled Old City.  Security camera footage taken on New Year’s Day shows two men entering the graveyard, toppling a cross-shaped tombstone and smashing it to pieces. 

Jerusalem, January 6 (RHC)-- The Anglican Church has expressed “dismay” over an attack on a Christian cemetery close to Jerusalem’s walled Old City.  Security camera footage taken on New Year’s Day shows two men entering the graveyard, toppling a cross-shaped tombstone and smashing it to pieces. 

More than 30 gravesites were damaged.  Jerusalem’s Anglican archbishop called the desecration a “clear hate crime” carried out by “Jewish extremists.” 

The incident came days after Israel swore in the most far-right government in its history, led by ultrareligious and ultranationalist members. 

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour addressed the incident at the United Nations on Wednesday, saying:  “You’ve seen by now that there are crosses over graveyards being trampled upon and attacked by extreme settlers.  This is a toxic environment.  The international community has to speak with one voice in rejecting this extremism and rejecting those terrorists and those elements of fascists in the Israeli government.”

The United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting at the request of the U.N.'s Palestinian delegation, after Israel's new national security minister, the ultranationalist politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.