Two radical Jews indicted over arson of famous Christian church
Police in Tel Aviv on Wednesday indicted two radical Jewish Israelis for the June 18 arson attack on the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes.
The church is a high-profile Christian site on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Police Spokeswoman Luba Samri said that the indictments against three further suspects had yet to be filed.
She said that the five, between aged 17 and 24, were arrested earlier in July.
Samri said that some of them were also suspected of additional hate crimes against Christians and Muslims, including the February arson at a famous Jerusalem abbey, believed to mark the spot of the demotion of the Virgin Mary, or her assumption into Heaven.
She said that some of the suspects had been serving injunctions barring them from Jerusalem and the West Bank for suspected involvement in vandalism against Palestinian property.
Samri said that the same group of radical youths also tried unsuccessfully to disrupt the May 2014 visit of Pope Benedict XVI, said the statement.
The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, which dates back to the 4th Century, was a major destination for tourists and Christian pilgrims.
It was believed to mark the spot of the blessing by Jesus Christ of a small quantity of food that then miraculously multiplied to feed the crowd that had gathered to hear him preach.
(NAN)