Misinformation Campaign Targets Christian Presence on Mount of Olives

Entrance to the Tomb of the Prophetrs [CREDIT: missionrocor.ru]

JERUSALEM — A renewed controversy has emerged surrounding the Tomb of the Prophets on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, a site long revered by both Christians and Jews. The dispute, which arose in September, centers on the presence of Christian symbols placed on new handrails installed by the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission — the historical custodian of the shrine.

The Tomb of the Prophets was acquired in the 19th century by Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. The Ottoman court of the time legally confirmed the Mission’s ownership and guardianship, under the condition that the site remain open to all visitors and that no church be constructed there. For more than a century, the Mission has honored this agreement, maintaining the shrine as a place of prayer for both Christians and Jews.

The latest controversy began after the Mission carried out minor repairs to the staircase handrails leading into the cave, adorning the new railings with small crosses — a traditional Christian symbol.

A number of radical Jewish activists and far-right politicians objected, claiming the crosses “offend religious feelings” and asserting that Jews could no longer pray at the site. False reports soon spread online, alleging that Christians had “taken over” the shrine and barred Jewish access — claims strongly denied by the Mission.

In response to the outcry, the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs intervened, politely requesting the removal of the crosses. Out of respect for the Ministry’s Head, the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission agreed to replace the crosses with another ancient Christian emblem — the Chi-Rho monogram of Emperor Constantine the Equal-to-the-Apostles.

Despite this conciliatory gesture, the radical right continued to inflame public opinion, launching media attacks against the Mission and spreading what Church representatives describe as “groundless hysteria.”

The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission reaffirmed its commitment to interfaith peace and to the shrine’s long-standing openness to all worshippers.

“For over a century, the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission has kept the Tomb of the Prophets open to everyone, regardless of faith,” a Mission spokesman said. “We seek to preserve respect for this sacred site and for the feelings of all who come here — while also maintaining its Christian heritage. We expect the Jewish state to honor these same principles.”

The Tomb of the Prophets remains open to all pilgrims and visitors, standing as a rare symbol of shared reverence — and of the fragile coexistence that has endured for generations on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives.

UOJ-USA previously reported on the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission's Metochian being set on fire by unknown arsonists.

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