An American tourist has been apprehended for the vandalism of two Roman-era statues at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The arrest took place on Thursday and the tourist is currently detained. The incident was captured in a photo by Ricardo Tulio Gandelman/Wikimedia Commons.
Oct. 6 (UPI) — The American tourist, who claimed that the statues were “blasphemous,” was arrested on October 5th after knocking down the statues at the museum. A security guard at the museum detained the suspect before contacting the police. The tourist’s detention has been extended until Monday.
Belonging to the 2nd century CE, the Roman statues portray Athena and Nemesis, the Roman deities. The Israel Museum confirmed the damage caused to these ancient statues.
Israeli police released footage of the incident, showing the suspect toppling the statues and causing damage. The suspect allegedly stated that the statues violated the Torah.
Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, expressed concern over the destruction of cultural artifacts by religious extremists.
Restoration experts have taken charge of repairing the damaged statues.
The attack occurred during the Sukkot holiday, a seven-day celebration that commemorates the harvest in ancient times and the Israelites’ exile.
The diaspora Jewish community, outside of Israel, observes Sukkot for eight days. It involves the construction of temporary dwellings called Sukkah, commemorating the biblical Israelites’ temporary homes during their exile in the Sinai desert.
During Sukkot, many observant Jews visit Israel to pilgrimage to the location of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. This temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE during the Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire.
