The Catholic church in Ein Karem was defaced with Hebrew graffiti, the latest in a series of attacks on religious sites in the city.
JERUSALEM – Israeli settlers vandalized the Church of the Visitation in the Ein Karem neighborhood of West Jerusalem on Thursday, spraying “revenge” messages and religious slogans on its walls and nearby vehicles, according to Palestinian officials.
The Jerusalem Governorate of the Palestinian Authority reported that a group of extremists targeted the Catholic church, which is located in what was a Palestinian village before 1948. Photographs from the scene show red spray-painted graffiti in Hebrew, including the words: “Revenge,” “David, king of Israel lives and endures,” and “The (Jewish) messiah is here!”
The attack has drawn condemnation as the latest in a series of violations against Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. The governorate stated that such incidents, including incursions into churches and mosques, have been mounting amid rising tensions in the region.
Police Launch Investigation
Israeli police have announced they are investigating the incident. According to The Times of Israel, authorities are treating the graffiti as a “nationalist” crime and have begun collecting evidence to identify the vandals.
The attack on the Church of the Visitation comes just weeks after other Christian sites in Jerusalem were targeted. In late January, menacing graffiti scrawled on the walls of the Armenian Monastery in the Old City called for “Death to Christians,” “Death to Arabs,” and “Death to Armenians” . Earlier in the month, more than 30 graves were vandalized at a Protestant Christian cemetery on Mount Zion .
A Pattern of Attacks
The Church of the Visitation, a significant site for Christian pilgrims, is believed to be the place where Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth. Its desecration is part of a broader pattern of settler violence against Palestinian and Christian property in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Since October 2023, there has been a sharp increase in such attacks, with settlers frequently spray-painting graffiti during raids on Palestinian properties. Local Christian leaders have previously warned that “recent activities undertaken by local individuals who advance damaging ideologies… mislead the public, sow confusion, and harm the unity of our flock” .
Thursday’s incident underscores growing concerns among Christian communities in Jerusalem about their safety and the protection of their holy sites.
