A fire at a Jerusalem synagogue was an act of arson, the fire department announced in a statement on Sunday morning.
"After examining all the findings at the scene of the incident, it was unequivocally determined that it was arson," the fire department said.
Police, fire, and rescue teams were called to the Or Habib synagogue in Jerusalem's Sanhedria neighbourhood on Sunday morning, after a fire broke out at the site, the Israel Police reported earlier in the day.
Footage published on social media shows an individual setting the synagogue alight before running out of the building.
בית הכנסת שבו מתפלל הרב הספרדי הראשי לשעבר הראשון לציון הרב יצחק יוסף הוצת. באיזור רוססו צלבים וסממנים נוצריים, המשטרה פתחה בחקירה. pic.twitter.com/VwjoOobzLG
— Bini Aschkenasy ביני אשכנזי (@BiniAshcknasy) June 8, 2025
Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef connected to synagogue
According to Israeli media, this is the synagogue of Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, former Sephardi chief rabbi from 2013 to 2024.
Prior to reports of the fire, the police received calls about a cross that had been graffitied onto the door of a house near the scene. Police and the Jerusalem District Forensic Unit are investigating the report.
שרפה פרצה הלילה בבית הכנסת של הרב יצחק יוסף בירושלים, כתובות נאצה וצלבים רוססו על בניין סמוך@daniel_grovais pic.twitter.com/Hbge5o8bMi
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) June 8, 2025
The fire has been contained, and no casualties were reported.
Yosef encouraged yeshiva students to take their IDF draft notices and "tear them up, throw them in the toilet, and flush them away," in comments made in December 2024.
Israeli officials condemned the suspected arson, call for Shin Bet investigation
"I am appalled by the horrific images of the fire and the spray-painted swastikas at the synagogue of Rishon LeZion, the spiritual leader of the Shas movement, Maran Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef," National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said in a statement on Sunday.
"This is a disturbing event with serious antisemitic characteristics. Especially in the Jewish state, there must be zero tolerance for antisemitism," Ben Gvir added.
While the police reported graffiti crosses near the fire, there have been no reports of swastikas spray-painted close to the synagogue.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog referred to the incident as "a hate crime" in a post on Twitter/X.
Religious Affairs Minister Michael Malchieli called the incident "a heinous act" and demanded "that the Israel Police act with a strong hand and with the severity of the law against the criminals," Walla reported.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel also condemned the reports of the arson, saying "This is a worrying escalation, and an attack on a national symbol," Maariv reported.
"This morning I addressed the head of the Shin Bet and demanded their cooperation in investigating the heinous hate crime of arson," he added.
"I expect the police to quickly find the culprits and bring them to justice in the strictest terms," Opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Sunday in a post on Twitter/X.
מגנה בכל תוקף את חילול בית הכנסת "אור חביב" בו מתפלל הרב יצחק יוסף. מצפה מהמשטרה למצוא במהירות את האשמים ולמצות איתם את הדין במלוא החומרה
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) June 8, 2025