"Many of the Christian community are deeply unhappy about the allegations being leveled by our government on Israel," explained Philip Rosenthal, director of ChristianView Network.
The bishops accused Israel of denying Palestinians "access to food, water, shelter, and health care" and said that "after this torture, they plan to murder them."
The Christian population in the Gaza Strip was around 5,000 in 2005 when Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Strip and declined to 1,000 before the war in Gaza began.
According to Christian tradition, Jesus was crowned with thorns on the day of his crucifixion. The thorns were meant to mock him for claiming to be the "king of the Jews."
An unlikely friendship is tested by the war. Can it survive?
Movers and shakers in Israeli society.
One of the arrested youths can be seen coming up to Father Nikodemus Schnabel. The young man is then caught on video spitting at Schnabel and saying an expletive about Jesus.
Orthodox Church activists, believers, and far-right groups have agitated for her to be subject to further criminal investigation for what they say was an act that insulted the icon and their beliefs.
The two main suspects were foreign nationals, one from Tajikistan and the other Russian, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said previously.
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