A synagogue in the town of Mitzpeh Yericho was vandalized early Thursday. The vandals destroyed books and several objects, smashed doors and furniture – and defaced a Torah scroll. The synagogue was located in a compound that housed, among other institutions, the local yeshiva.
Police have opened an investigation and are attempting to determine the motive behind the vandalism – criminal, nationalistic, or other.
A spokesperson for Mitzpeh Yericho, located outside of Ma'aleh Adumim, said that it appeared that two terrorists broke through the town's security fence Wednesday night. “The terrorists passed through the local yeshiva, they created a great deal of damage, destroying books and throwing a Torah scroll on the floor. They also destroyed many objects and items in the yeshiva. By way of miracle there were no injuries or worse.”
IDF troops and police were searching for evidence, and were searching for suspects in nearby Arab villages.
Avi Ro'eh, head of the Yesha Council and director of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, sad that the incident was a “very serious one, because it involved not only vandalism and destruction of a place of worship, but an invasion of a school. We are relying on police to make every effort to find the guilty parties and bring them to justice.”