In the West Bank settlement of Dolev, near Binyamin community, the Yad Yair synagogue was damaged, leaving Torah scrolls and many other sacred objects housed within (and in the adjoining building) burned and destroyed. The Binyamin Regional Council suspects Palestinians to be behind the incident.
The synagogue, west of Ramallah, was erected over a decade ago as memorial for Yair Mendelson, who was killed byby Palestinians at the beginning of the first Intifada.
This is the second time the synagogue has been desecrated. Yad Yair was ransacked three months ago, but had been since been repaired and refurbished by members of the community. Residents of the Dolev-Talmonim region, with help from from IDF, set up camp in Yad Yair Thursday night to protest the arson and send a message of resistance.
The National Union - NRP called the attack “a shocking incident that continues the Arab tradition of vulgarity and vandalism.” The statement further stated, “We demand an immediate response from the police and military, the capture of the vandals and their punishment,” and continued “a permanent presence at the site should be established.”
