The Israeli Prime Minister and the President strongly condemned the arson attack. A fire associated with vandalism is investigated by security forces as a hate crime.
Unknown perpetrators on Sunday night in Jerusalem set fire to one of the synagogues, the Times of Israel (Toi) reported on his website. The police and firefighters said at the scene of the crime, they were undoubtedly an intentional crime. For now, no one has been detained.
According to Toi, firefighters in the interior of the Synagogue OR Habib have found prayer books that were damaged by vandals. The arson attack in the synagogue is probably also related to the cross sprayed on the door of the nearby house.
Toi added that the fire of the damaged synagogue in the Jerusalem district of Sanhedrija is usually visited by former Israeli chief rabbi Yicchak Josef, who is also a spiritual leader of the ultra -orthodox political party Association of Sefard Torea (ŠAS).
Attack on a national symbol
Interior Minister Moša Arbel called the Israeli counter -intelligence Shin Bet to investigate the case. He added that he also contacted its outgoing boss Ronen Bar in connection with the fire.
“This is a worrying escalation and an attack on the national symbol,” Arbel said, describing him as “abominable crime committed from hatred”.
Israeli President Yicchak Herzog, in social network status, called on a quick examination of the case, “the burning of holy books, spraying the crosses and an attempt to burn tores,” he described as despicable action.
Crime committed from hate, the minister says
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned “arson and desecration” of the synagogue and appealed that “we must not allow scenes that remind us of tragic periods in our history.” He called on the law enforcement authorities to find and punish them as soon as possible. The leader of the opposition Jair Lapid also said in the same spirit.
Avigdor Liberman, chairman of Israel, our home (Jisra’el Bejtena), stressed that “a handful of criminals must not undermine the unity of Israeli society”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar wrote in the status on the X Network on arson attack that “it is a serious and shocking crime (committed) of hatred.”
