JERUSALEM (CNS) – The Israeli government must be more attentive to incidents of vandalism against Christian institutions, said Auxiliary Bishop William H. Shomali, chancellor of the Jerusalem Latin Patriarchate.

In the fifth such incident this year, vandals targeted Christian institutions, slashing the tire of a car and writing anti-Christian graffiti on it and on the walls at the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Cross in central Jerusalem. The vandals also sprayed anti-Christian graffiti on the gates of the entrance of the Armenian cemetery.

Following a meeting with representatives of the American Jewish Committee in Jerusalem, Bishop Shomali said the acts do not physically threaten the Christian community but are meant to harm them morally and psychologically.

“These acts are a fact of being a minority, (but) the government has to be more attentive and try to find (the vandals’) footprints,” he said.

He said the attacks also were detrimental to the government, which is meant to protect the rights of all the residents of Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the acts “revolting.