An Israel support group has condemned a Catholic priest who splattered red paint over a memorial toformer Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Father Gerard Burns, the parish priest of Te Ngakau Tapu in Porirua, smeared the Wellington memorial to the late Mr Rabin with a mixture of a drop of his blood and paint.
His actions were part of a 1000-strong protest in Wellington yesterday against Israel’s air and ground offensive in Gaza. The demonstrators were calling on the New Zealand Government to end its neutral stance.
The newly formed Kiwi Friends for Israel has demanded that the Catholic Church distance itself from Father Burns’ “tasteless vandalism” and has called for an apology from the priest.
“Kiwi Friends of Israel strongly supports the right of all New Zealanders to have a robust debate on the rights and wrongs of Israel’s policies but attacking peace memorials isn’t legitimate behaviour.
“Father Burns is entitled to his views – however wrongheaded – but he crossed a line when he decided to daub blood and paint on a memorial to the murdered Prime Minister.
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