Degel Hatorah party chairman MK Moshe Gafne was among the voices of outrage following the news of the Tuesday morning, January 29, 2019 vandalism attack in a shul in the Kiryat Yovel area of Jerusalem.

Police crime scene photos clearly show that the attackers cut through a side wall of the steel safe aron kodesh to access the Sifrei Torah, which were thrown on the floor and then cleaning liquids thrown on them to do as much damage as possible.

Gafne explains this is the result of years of efforts to prevent chareidim from moving into the neighborhood, possibly taking a blow at the administration of previous mayor, Nir Barkat.

“When Bnei Yisrael go down, it is all the way to the end,” Gafne responded on Tuesday, visibly pained by what occurred. He added that the tenacious efforts over years to keep chareidim out has led to a number of deranged individuals to act as they have.

Shas chairman Minister Aryeh Deri explained this heinous act undoubtedly strikes a chord with every Jew, stating that it is the Sefer Torah which unites all Jews, from all walks of life, making this attack in the shul that much more potent and painful to one and all.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)