Attack by Three Israelis at Nazareth Church Sparks Riot

Robert Berger
Voice of America
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Jerusalem (Israel):
Three Israelis disguised as Christian pilgrims entered the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth and threw firecrackers.
The incident sparked a riot in the Israeli Arab town, as angry residents clashed with police, who threw stun grenades to disperse the crowd. At least eight people, including five police, were injured in the unrest.
The attackers barricaded themselves in the building for several hours before police broke through the crowd of several thousand protesters to free them.
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See Also:
Israeli terrorists attack Christian holy sites
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Police say the three Israelis involved in the incident were not members of a militant group and were apparently not motivated by nationalism. They were identified as a Jerusalem couple known to authorities, who had been treated for psychiatric problems in the past. The third person was a woman.
The Church of the Annunciation marks the site where, according to the Bible, the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to Jesus.
Mar 04, 2006