Israel government, in reversal, agrees to pay compensation for arson attack on ancient church
September 22, 2015
The attorney general of Israel has ruled that the Catholic Church should be compensated for the arson attack on the ancient Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, reversing an earlier government ruling.
Last week Israel Tax Authority announced that a law requiring compensation for victims of religious violence applied only to incidents involving the Arab-Israeli conflict, and therefore denied funds to help repair the church on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, which had been badly damaged in an attack by Jewish extremists. But Avi Licht, the attorney general, overturned that ruling, saying that the vandalism was an outgrowth of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, the patriarchal vicar for Jerusalem, applauded the decision. “The change of direction seems strange,” he said, “but the content of the measure is important and we are very happy with it.” The bishop also said that he sees positive movement toward a resolution of complaints about sharp cuts in Israeli government funding for Catholic schools. Although no agreement has been concluded, he said, “a kind of understanding was reached” in recent talks.
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Further information:
- Israel to pay damages for arson attack on Tabgha church of. Positive developments also for Catholic schools (AsiaNews)
- Compensation for the burning of the church in Tabgha (Fides)
- Israeli tax compensation for arson attack on historic church (CWN, 9/15)
- Arab Israelis join protest against cuts in funding for Christian schools (CWN, 9/8)
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Posted by: brenda22890 -
Sep. 23, 2015 9:54 AM ET USA
Israel really needs to understand who their friends are...
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Posted by: james-w-anderson8230 -
Sep. 23, 2015 1:03 AM ET USA
It also sounds like the understanding that Cardinal Dolan thought that he had with the PotUS.
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Posted by: Minnesota Mary -
Sep. 22, 2015 10:10 PM ET USA
"Although no agreement has been concluded... a kind of understanding was reached in recent talks." Poppycock! Sounds like the so called agreement between the Vatican and Israel over twenty five years ago. The Vatican is still waiting to get what it had hoped for.
