Vandals break into settlement synagogue, desecrate Torah scrolls

Vandals broke into a synagogue in the settlement of Kochav Ya’akov early Wednesday morning and destroyed three Torah scrolls. The vandals also stole religious objects.

Police launched an investigation into the matter. Settlement residents blamed Palestinians from a nearby village for the attack. Kochav Ya’akov is located south of Ramallah, just outside Jerusalem.

Similar desecration of mosques in West Bank Palestinian villages occur periodically, with settlers often blamed. Those acts are referred to as price tag attacks, since perpetrators have stated they are revenge for attacks on Jews by Palestinians.