Satan was here

Russia sends in a protest note to Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Russian embassy to Israel sent today a note of protest to Israeli Foreign Ministry, connected with the incident in Haifa on July 9 – “the act of vandalism and blasphemy towards Christian sacred places.” That day, some unknown persons desecrated the gate of Prophet Ilya Temple and icon of this saint in the northern part of the temple. The vandals covered the walls of the temple with drawings of reverse crosses and pentagonal stars and wrote: “Satan was here.”

After the leader of Russian spiritual mission to Jerusalem, archimandrite Yelisei (Ganaba) got to know about it, he addressed to Israeli Ministry on Religion and told about the sacrilege.

The Israeli Police drew up a report and departed. The vice-mayor of Haifa promised to clear up the situation. Later some unknown person called to the police and took responsibility for the incident. He also promised to continue committing the crimes of the kind. The criminal spoke Russian. According to the statement of Foreign Relations Office of Moscow Patriarchy, “the leadership of Orthodox community of the city of Haifa visited the Russian temple and expressed its deep concern with what had happened. The temple was also visited by the vice-mayor of Haifa, who in the name of municipal authorities expressed sympathy with Russian spiritual mission to Israel in connection with the sad incident and presented his apologies for the anti-Orthodox action and promised to pay attention to the process of the investigation.”

Pyotr Byely PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/07/12/44080.html