Israeli officials fear the pope’s vocal criticisms and symbolic gestures - such as this year’s nativity scene in St Peter’s Square featuring baby Jesus resting on a Palestinian keffiyeh - may influence global public opinion.
Created by Bethlehem artists Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi, the nativity scene prominently features Palestinian materials, including olive wood, a symbol of Palestinian resilience.
During its unveiling, Pope Francis condemned the global arms industry for profiting from human suffering and reiterated his call for an end to all wars, urging the faithful to remember those suffering in the holy land.
The display, praised by many as a message of solidarity and peace, drew backlash from Israel’s supporters, who accused the Vatican of promoting a pro-Palestinian agenda.
Israeli government says the tradition of spitting on christians is not a criminal act at all. I imagine spitting on jews though, is terrorism.
Ben Gvir had previously defended the act of spitting on Christians as “an ancient Jewish custom”.
“Police have reportedly not been taking the attacks seriously, refusing to treat the incidents as part of a trend and downplaying the culprits’ motives by saying they are carried out due to “mental illness”.”
from https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-spitting-christians-jerusalem-not-criminal-ben-gvir
and
"Being spat and shouted at by Israelis has become, for some Christians, “a daily occurrence”
from https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/4/9/under-netanyahu-violence-against-christians-is-being-normalised
Is there a word for a “what the fuck” feeling, quickly replaced by “I’m not surprised”?