Christian leaders in Israel are starting to speak out against a string of attacks on church properties and religious sites.

The latest incident was an attack by vandals on the Protestant Cemetery of Mount Zion. The vandals destroyed graves belonging to major protestant figures of the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the graves belonged to a German diplomat who founded an orphanage in the city.

“We are striving so hard to promote dignity and respect among the living. And here we have our dead people … vandalized,” said the Very Rev. Hosam Naoum, caretaker of the Protestant cemetery. “No human would agree with this.”

Other attacks in the last year included an attack on a monastery in Latrun outside Jerusalem where “Jesus is a monkey” was spray painted on the century old building. Over the last three years, 17 Christian sites in the Holy Land have been reported vandalized.