Arab-speaking Israeli Christians sent a letter on Tuesday to Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, Defense Minister Beny Gantz, Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and other officials warning of Muslim attacks on their Easter and the pre-holiday events and demanding protection.
The letter, sent by the Jerusalemite Initiative organization, stated that “the past in Israel’s neighboring countries has taught us that Christians and their symbols have been a target for the Islamic State terrorist organization to the point of genocide recognized by the European Union.”
The letter was dispatched after two terror attacks in Israel in the past week, carried out by ISIS-sympathizers in Be’er Sheva and Hadera, claimed the lives of six Israelis and injured about 20.
“Harming Christians in Israel during Easter, which is a very important Christian holiday, both in the local community, the Arab-speaking Christian community, the Armenians and others, is something that will cause great embarrassment and damage to the State of Israel,” the letter warned.
In their letter, the Christians ask “to seriously consider the response that the defense establishment must give in order to provide maximum security to Christians and churches during this period and during the upcoming Easter.”
The Jerusalemite Initiative is a non-profit organization that works to empower Israeli Christians who are proud of belonging to Israel and support the full integration of Christians in the country.
Since the beginning of March, Muslim terrorists have carried out nine terrorist attacks across the country, in which Israelis were 25 injured, and six were killed.
Security tensions in Israel are high, after a series of terror attacks in the Jerusalem area and the murder of four Israelis in Be’er Sheva by an Islamist terrorist, and ahead of the Muslim month of Ramadan, which usually spells an uptick in Muslim violence and acts of terrorism in Israel.
The country’s security establishment is bracing for violence, especially as Ramadan coincides with Passover, and following the first anniversary of Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021, which was launched by the IDF following a Hamas rocket attack on Jerusalem that began at the height of the Month of Ramadan.
