Hate crime? A holy shrine was burned tonight (Monday) at the Maor Yisrael synagogue named after Maran Har"a Yosef on Helautzim Street in the city of Bnei Brak.
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Fire crews called to the scene rescued the Torah scrolls and extinguished the fire. There were no injuries.
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At the same time, a synagogue in the city of Ramat Gan burned down. The building was severely damaged. The fire apparently broke out due to an electrical short in a refrigerator in the synagogue.
The Civil Aviation Authority Spokesperson's Office reported:
""This morning, around 4:00 AM, firefighters were called to a fire at a synagogue in Ramat Gan on Ruth Street. The firefighters identified a definite fire in the office on the second floor of the synagogue.
At the same time, firefighters from the Bnei Brak station rushed to a fire in a synagogue on HaChalutsim Street, where the firefighters identified the fire as a localized one that had consumed the curtain of the Holy Ark and was extinguished before they arrived.
In both incidents, firefighters carried out operations to quickly and professionally extinguish the fire and rescue the holy books.
A fire investigator was called in to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire, and the findings of the investigation show that there is no connection between the two events.
The fire at the synagogue in Ramat Gan broke out as a result of an electrical failure in the refrigerator in the office on the second floor.
"As for the fire in Bnei Brak, there is suspicion of criminal activity, the incident is under police investigation.".
The police said: "The police began investigating the circumstances of a fire in a synagogue in Bnei Brak early this morning, with the opinion of professional sources suggesting arson, and therefore an investigation was opened accordingly.
Meanwhile, the fire investigator and the Israel Police forensic investigators collected various forensic findings at the scene, to examine the circumstances to advance the investigation.".
Minister of Construction and Housing MK Yaakov Litzman: "A difficult and terrible morning in which two synagogues in Israel were set on fire, by vile hands, who committed a hate crime, in Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan. The severe incitement against the tradition of Israel and the Haredi public is dangerous and crosses red lines. The police must act decisively to locate the perpetrators and bring them to justice immediately.".
MK Uriel Bosso of Shas said: "This is the message of the difficult incident this morning in which rioters set fire to a synagogue in the center, a message to law enforcement agencies, a message to the rioters, and a message to the spreaders of incitement and hatred that this incident is definitely part of the consequences.".
This is the message for the difficult incident this morning in which rioters set fire to a synagogue in the center, a message to law enforcement agencies, a message to the rioters, and a message to the spreaders of incitement and hatred that this incident is definitely part of the consequences. pic.twitter.com/oynpSPiU0B
— Uriel Busso (@BussoUriel) April 5, 2021
