Resident of Haredi city indicted over Jerusalem synagogue arson that drew outrage
Widespread claims that incident was motivated by anti-Haredi sentiment is now put in doubt due to defendant, 23, hailing from Beitar Illit; suspect’s name under gag order
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State prosecutors filed charges Thursday against a 23-year-old resident of Beitar Illit, the suspect in an arson attack on a Jerusalem synagogue frequented by former chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef.
He was accused of plotting two separate arson attacks in the early morning of June 8 in Jerusalem’s Sanhedria neighborhood, targeting the Or Habib synagogue and a nearby apartment building.
The arson, which received widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum, was initially probed by the Shin Bet as terrorism.
Many ultra-Orthodox politicians blamed the incident on anti-Haredi “incitement” related to the fight over the conscription of yeshiva students, going so far as to label it a hate crime.
However, both speculations now seem to be in doubt due to the suspect being from Beitar Illit, a Haredi city in the West Bank. His motives remain unclear.
The suspect’s name is barred from publication under a gag order implemented at the time of his arrest.
According to the indictment, the defendant first tried to set fire to an apartment building adjacent to the prominent synagogue. He vandalized residents’ doors with spray paint before dousing a door and elevator with flammable liquid and setting them alight. Residents extinguished the fire before it could do significant damage.
Later that night, at around 4 a.m., he allegedly broke into the synagogue and poured flammable liquid on the chair of the prominent Sephardi rabbi, then set it on fire.
With no one to put it out, the blaze spread, scorching holy books and causing significant damage to the building’s AC and electrical systems. There were no injuries.
חשד להצתה: שריפה בבית הכנסת של הרב יצחק יוסף בירושלים | תיעוד@VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/xiLqjWSclJ
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 8, 2025
The perpetrator was caught on security camera footage the night of the attack, roving around the darkened synagogue before flames erupted at one end, as the person quickly moved away.
In the indictment filed Thursday in the Jerusalem District Court, prosecutors charged the suspect with arson and intentional property damage. They requested to extend his remand until the end of legal proceedings.
The Times of Israel Community.