The Maronite prayer hall of Saint Peter and Paul of Naharyah, in northern Israel, was vandalized on Sunday, November 1, the day of All Saints. Faithful people discovered broken statues and degraded religious images. The police opened an investigation. The Maronite archeparchy of Haifa asks that those responsible be prosecuted and that the place be protected.
The damage was discovered at the end of the afternoon, when a member of the community arrived to prepare for a celebration. The hall occupies part of a municipal building used for offices and other activities. Upon his arrival, the priest of the community found that religious objects had been broken and left on the ground.
Maronite prayer hall vandalized in Nahariya
Maronite Archbishop Moussa El-Hage condemned a violation of the sacred character of the place and freedom of worship. In a statement made public after the events, the archeparchy asks the authorities to identify the perpetrators, bring them to justice and prevent further deterioration.
The faithful will continue to gather in this room, she says. It combines its demand for justice with the rejection of hatred: forgiving does not mean giving up the rights of the community. The archeparchy calls for the protection of places of worship of all religions.
Police check all the leads
The Nahariya police station opened an investigation after a complaint was filed. In a response reported by the Israeli press on 2 November, the police indicated that several investigative steps were under way and that all leads remained open.
Father Yosef Yaakov, spokesman for the Maronite community in Israel, also called for waiting for the results. He considered it premature to attribute the facts to religious hatred. As at 5 November, the verified information does not establish the identity of the authors or their motives.
An apology in English was found on the altar, according to the testimonies reported in the local press. The municipality, the police and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the community and offered their help, his priest said.
Families from South Lebanon
The hall includes families of former members of the South Lebanon Army, a militia allied with Israel before the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. A part of his members and their relatives then settled in Israel. This route explains the presence of Lebanese Maronite families in Nahariya, near the border. It does not provide information on the reasons for vandalism.
The Greek-Melkite Greek archeparchy Catholic of Haifa, Acre, Nazareth and all Galilee also expressed its solidarity in a communiqué of 1 November. His Archbishop, Youssef Matta, called for an urgent inquiry and concrete measures to protect places of worship.
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