MK Tibi proposes bill to strengthen protection of religious symbols

Ta’a MK Ahmad Tibi has presented a bill to increase penalties for desecrating religious symbols of the three major monotheistic faiths in Israel, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

Tibi presented the bill on Wednesday, following a wave of attacks on sacred places in Israel, including churches and mosques.

These attacks, he said, have threatened public order and personal security, as well as harmed the status of various religious sites. The goal of the legislation is to protect all places of worship. By raising the penalties for desecration, the hope is to deter offenders. 

“For years, we have witnessed attacks on mosques and other religious property without interference,” Tibi said. “There have been no arrests and no enforcement. This behavior is encouraging and perpetuating violence that cannot be tolerated. 

“We need to take a stronger stance against hate crimes like these in general and impose specific penalties as a deterrent,” he added.

Vandalism of religious sites

In January, teens vandalized dozens of Christian graves in the Protestant cemetery on Mount Zion, including toppling a large masonry cross. 

A month before, the Maronite community center in Ma’alot-Tarshiha suffered vandalism. Discriminatory graffiti also appeared on Jerusalem’s Armenian community buildings, and acts of vandalism have affected the Church of the Flagellation.

Over the years, various Muslim cemeteries have also been described. In 2010, for example, graves were damaged at Jerusalem’s Mamilla Cemetery, a centuries-old Islamic burial site.