Bnei Brak man arrested for vandalizing Reform center, threatening Women of the Wall leader
Bnei Brak man arrested for vandalizing Reform center, threatening Women of the Wall leaderFLASH90

A 39-year-old Bnei Brak man suspected of being behind a series of threats against left-wing organizations and lecturers on secularism was indicted this week on charges of intent to commit arson, vandalism, threats, and extortion.

The suspect allegedly targeted leaders of the Reform Movement in Israel as well as an atheist association in six separate incidents from 2014 to 2017.

According to the indictment, the suspect vandalized a Reform community center in Raanana and purchased gasoline with the intention of torching the offices of the far-left anti-IDF NGO Breaking the Silence.

The suspect also sent threatening letters to a number of Reform Movement leaders in the US and Israel, including Rick Jacobs and Gilad Kariv. Threatening letters were also sent to Women of the Wall founder Anat Hoffman, secularist writer Yaakov Malkin, and anthropologist Dr. Dan Boneh, author of Never Happened.

In 2014, the suspect called Dr. Boneh, demanding he drop a planned appearance at a conference of the Israeli Atheists Association, threatening him if he did not comply.

Last month, the suspect collected information on 42 members of Breaking the Silence, and plotted an arson attack on the group’s office.