Ten days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel the protector of Christians in the Middle East, Israeli security was filmed manhandling a Coptic Christian priest in Jerusalem and throwing him to the ground.

"Israel is the one country that protects the human rights of all," Netanyahu had told Christian media leaders from around the world attending the Christian Media conference Oct. 14 in Jerusalem. "We don’t just protect Christian religious sites — we protect Christian people. Christians should enjoy all the freedom to worship as they please in the Middle East and anywhere else and the only place in the Middle East where they can do so is Israel.”

But on the morning of Oct. 24, the bishop and priests of the Coptic church in Jerusalem were demonstrating outside the entrance to Deir al-Sultan monastery, which is situated on the roof of Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Copts were trying to keep Jerusalem municipal workers from bringing in supplies to repair the Christian holy site. Israeli officials say they fear the old chapel could be a hazard to worshipers and visitors, but a dispute over who should handle the monastery repairs has been going on for years.

Israeli security used force to remove the protesters. Two priests were arrested but were later released after the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv intervened. The use of force by Israeli security was captured in video and photos, including images showing two members of the Israeli police pinning the Coptic priest to the ground. The images have gone viral, especially among Coptic communities around the world.