The Krayot Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of a suspect identified as Keren for three days over the vandalism of a Maronite Christian place of worship in Nahariya, with Judge Orit Kantor ruling that the alleged religious hatred behind the offenses heightened their severity.
The decision was reached by agreement between a representative of the Nahariya police and attorney Irena Luria, who represents Keren on behalf of the Public Defender’s Office. In a similar case in September, a Haifa resident was indicted for vandalizing a church and assaulting a police officer.
Judge Kantor said she was convinced that “at this stage, there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the suspect did indeed commit the offenses attributed to him, and the suspicion is strong.”
“In my assessment, these are offenses motivated by religious hatred, which increases the danger posed and the severity of the offenses,” Kantor ruled.
The judge accordingly extended Keren’s detention for three days. He is scheduled to appear before a judge again on Thursday. The incident shocked the community of former South Lebanon Army (SLA) members. Worshippers who arrived at the prayer hall on Sunday, November 1, discovered broken statues and defaced pictures.
Maronite community condemns vandalism of prayer hall
According to Father Yosef Yaakov, spokesman for the Maronite community in the Holy Land, a note written in English asking for forgiveness had been left on the altar.
The eparchy, the Maronite Church’s diocese in Haifa, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the incident.
The eparchy stressed that the vandalism violated the sanctity of a place of worship and the right of believers to practice their religion freely, safely, and with dignity.
Church officials called on the authorities to investigate the incident, identify those responsible, and bring them to justice. They also demanded measures to protect the site and prevent similar incidents from occurring again.
The incident follows other cases involving damage to Christian places of worship in Israel. In August, police arrested a suspect after crosses and statues were smashed at St. Anthony’s Church in Jaffa.
Lebanese Maronite community numbers around 1,100 members
The prayer hall operates on a municipally owned property adjacent to a city park and serves the Lebanese Maronite community for prayers and religious ceremonies.
The community numbers approximately 1,100 people. Several dozen worshippers attend Sunday prayers, while hundreds gather for religious holidays.
Concerns over the protection of religious sites have also emerged in Jerusalem. In August, police arrested seven suspects in incidents involving an Armenian church and Muslim graves.
