Judge cites religious hatred as suspect in Maronite Nahariya church vandalism remains jailed
Judge cites strong evidence and suspected religious hatred as a man accused of vandalizing a Maronite prayer hall in Nahariya remains in custody.
Keren, a resident of Nahariya, has been detained for three days pending trial over the vandalism of a Maronite Christian church. The decision to extend his detention was made by Judge Orit Kantor, who cited the religious hatred behind the acts as a factor increasing the severity of the offenses. The incident occurred on November 1, when worshippers found broken statues and defaced pictures at the prayer hall.
A note requesting forgiveness was left on the altar in English. The Maronite community strongly condemned the act, emphasizing that it violated the sanctity of a place of worship and the right of believers to practice their religion freely and safely. The eparchy of Haifa, representing the Maronite Church in the Holy Land, called for an investigation, identification of perpetrators, and justice.
The protection of religious sites has also been a concern in other parts of Israel, including Jerusalem, where seven suspects were arrested in connection with an Armenian church and Muslim graves in August.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
