Bethlehem

In a separate incident earlier this month, a woman in her 20's living in central Israel who had been forcibly taken to Hebron was located and rescued by authorities.

At least three other soldiers witnessed the acts, Army Radio reported on Monday morning, noting that none attempted to stop the vandal.

After wounding the victim, the attacker fled the scene. Israel Police later found him shortly afterward, several streets from the apartment.

The suspect, a resident of Bethlehem, was taken to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) for questioning.

Jerusalem's Municipality had worked with the Tourism and Interior Ministries to prepare for the event, with Mayor Moshe Lion extending his blessing to the Jerusalem Christian community.

Greene lauded Bethlehem for being the birthplace of Jesus, but condemned alleged "Christian persecution" occurring in the area.

The pitch, the IDF Central Command claimed, sat too close to the seam zone, alleging that the structure and its occupants provided an observation point too sensitive for its volatile location.

B’Tselem warns that organized, state-backed settler militias are driving Palestinians from their land with violent attacks across the West Bank.

Western media blame Israel for the decline in Christianity, ignoring the real threat, which is radical Islamic persecution.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg and social justice nonprofit Slow Factory also declared in a collaborative social media post on Wednesday that "Jesus was a Palestinian born under occupation."