A scuffle between Israeli police and Coptic priests at a major Christian holy site in Jerusalem has drawn condemnation from Egypt.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry expressed a “total rejection” of Israeli police violence and said it’s “closely monitoring the situation.”
Police and Coptic priests wrangled yesterday outside a contested chapel at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
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The Copts were protesting the start of restoration work by the Israel Antiquities Authority at the St. Michael the Archangel Chapel, which both the Ethiopian and Egyptian Orthodox churches claim. The police forcibly removed the priests after they barred entry to the workers.
Mazen Qupti, a lawyer for the Coptic church, said one priest was briefly detained and several suffered minor injuries.