Attack on Nazareth church sparks riot
At least two people disguised as Christian pilgrims threw firecrackers into one of Christianity’s holiest sites today, sparking a large riot in this biblical town, police said.
At least seven people were injured as police struggled to bring the situation under control.
Police officials said the attackers entered the Basilica of the Annunciation and threw the firecrackers.
Thousands of residents of the Arab-Israeli town rushed to the building and began rioting.
Rescue workers said at least two people were wounded in the unrest, and others were suffering from tear gas inhalation.
Police said the attackers remained inside the church, and the large crowd prevented police from entering the building to arrest them. Five police officers were injured, officials said.
When an ambulance arrived, the crowd attacked the vehicle, breaking windows and forcing it to turn away. Police said special commando units were being dispatched to the scene.
Police were still trying to determine a motive for the attack and the identity of the attackers.
They said two or three people were believed to be inside the church.
The church is at the site where Christians believe the Angel Gabriel appeared before the Virgin Mary and foretold the birth of Jesus.
Nazareth, the boyhood town of Jesus, is located in northern Israel.
It is inhabited by Christian and Muslim Arabs, and religious tensions have boiled over in the past, with the two sides in a dispute over attempts to build a mosque next to the church.
