Israeli police made several arrests Sunday in connection with
last month's arson at the historic Church of Multiplication, authorities said.
Police
spokeswoman Luba Samri said there was no immediate confirmation of the number
of people arrested, but the investigation was led by the Israeli police unit
that deals with crimes committed by Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
Christians
believe the Church of the Multiplication, in Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee, is
where Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to feed 5,000 of his
followers.
On June 18, a
fire consumed much of the interior of the monastery and destroyed the roof,
leaving only charred remains of Bibles and other objects. The part of the
church housing the rock where Jesus is said to have put the five loaves and two
fish wasn't damaged in the fire.
Graffiti
scrawled in red Hebrew lettering on a wall outside the Roman Catholic church
read, "Idols will have their heads cut off."
Police detained
16 Jewish settlers -- all minors -- at the time for questioning, but later
released them.
Israeli Deputy
Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely has denounced the attack.
"The State of Israel safeguards the freedom of worship of
all faiths and completely rejects any and all attempts to harm it,"
Hotovely said.
The Church of
the Multiplication is run by Benedictine monks, and the area is one of the most
significant in Christianity.
The site of the
church is near the places where the New Testament says Jesus walked on water
and delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
Numerous places
of worship in the region have been attacked in recent years. Police have said
they suspect right-wing Jewish extremists of torching
and defacing mosques and churches
in the past.
Palestinians say
not enough is being done to catch those behind the attacks.
"Churches
and Mosques in all of historic Palestine continue to be targeted by Israeli
terrorists who enjoy full impunity from their State," the Palestine
Liberation Organization said last month.
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