Israeli Book Says Army Harmed Churches in 1948 War, Citing Sharett Testimony

Israeli documents have revealed that the Israeli army deliberately adopted a policy of destroying, vandalising and harming the sanctity of churches in Palestine during and after the 1948 war, according to the source. An Israeli book due to be published next month by the Moshe Sharett Heritage Society describes how the army carried out seizure and destruction operations against churches in Palestinian cities, towns and villages it took control of after expelling their people. The book draws on statements and testimonies of Moshe Sharett, who served as Israeli prime minister and foreign minister, about what it describes as brutal attacks on Palestinian churches.

According to the book, excerpts of which Haaretz published, Sharett as foreign minister strongly criticised the policy of destruction and looting during a government meeting chaired by David Ben-Gurion on 5 July 1949. The author states that Sharett’s objections were not confined to cabinet sessions. He also raised them at meetings with members of Mapai, the party he belonged to, where he described what he considered “heinous acts” committed against churches.

The book reproduces parts of the protocol of the 5 July 1949 meeting. The Israel State Archive, the source reports, prohibits publication of the full original text because it contains Sharett’s testimony about atrocities against churches. In the protocol, as quoted in the book, Sharett said of the army’s conduct: “the officers and soldiers deliberately harmed the Christian sanctities; their behaviour is that of beasts, not human beings.” He also said that “the attacks suffered by the churches at the hands of the soldiers and officers are a shameful page in Israel’s history.”

The book further reports that Sharett compared Israel, which he said had permitted such acts, to “an evil and brutal Caesar that promotes nothing but destruction.” He added that “the soldiers and officers turned the churches to toilets where they would tend to their needs.” According to the book, Sharett told Mapai members at a July 1949 meeting that Israel had declared areas containing churches to be military zones. The source says this was done to justify refusing entry to foreign visitors and tourists, which it presents as an effort to keep witnesses away from the army’s conduct.

Sharett also described looting that he said continued for months. According to the source, he stated that soldiers stole a valuable crown set with precious stones from one church, and that in another church soldiers broke the hand off a sculpture of Jesus to take gold bracelets from it. He further said that officers and soldiers intentionally harmed church sanctity and tore holy books. The source adds that Sharett attributed acts of destruction not only to officers and soldiers but also to many settlers, especially recent immigrants. Honest accounting of what was done, and by whom, matters for truth and fairness (Proverbs 18:17).

Haaretz reported that the Israel State Archive released the records of the 5 July 1949 government meeting after omitting 30 sentences in which Sharett described atrocities against churches. The source links the renewed attention to these revelations to present-day statements by some Jewish religious figures. It reports that these figures have expressed support for the burning of churches by Jewish terrorist groups and have said Christians should not be allowed to perform their religious rituals, describing Christianity as “a form of paganism.” The source says large groups of religious Israeli youths have adopted these views. As evidence, it cites graffiti on the walls of a church in occupied Jerusalem early last week by the Hilltop Youth, which it describes as a Jewish terrorist organisation, containing phrases threatening the killing of Christians in the city.

The source notes that the views expressed in the article belong to its author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

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