"Attacks on Christians, their sites and symbols are unacceptable at all times, even more so, as we approach Christmas this week." said Israel's Foreign Ministry.
A Christmas tree and nativity scene were burned down in a pre-dawn attack on Monday outside the Holy Redeemer Church in the Palestinian city of Jenin, according to the Latin Catholic church.
In a social media post, the pastor of the church, Father Amer Jubran, condemned the 3:00 a.m. arson attack as a “shameful and reprehensible act perpetrated by outlaws” which, he said, did not reflect Muslim-Christian relations among Palestinians.
“Such isolated acts do not reflect the values and morals of the people of Jenin, and do not undermine the city’s deeply rooted national and human unity,” he wrote.