American Tourist Arrested for Defacing Priceless Roman Statues at Israel Museum, Raises Concerns of Cultural Heritage Attacks in Jerusalem
An American tourist in Jerusalem is arrested for defacing Roman statues at the Israel Museum. The act raises concerns about the safety of Israel's cultural heritage and highlights a rise in attacks on historical artifacts. The suspect claims religious reasons, but his lawyer suggests a mental disorder. The incident sheds light on tensions in Jerusalem as religious extremism continues to damage cultural values.
Israeli police have arrested an American tourist at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem after he defaced two second-century Roman statues by hurling works of art to the floor. The vandalism has raised concerns about the safety of Israel's priceless collections and highlighted a rise in attacks on cultural heritage in Jerusalem. The suspect, identified as a radical 40-year-old Jewish American tourist, claimed that he smashed the statues because he considered them "to be idolatrous and contrary to the Torah." However, the man's lawyer, Nick Kaufman, denied that religious fanaticism motivated the act.
According to Kaufman, the tourist suffered from a mental disorder known as the Jerusalem syndrome, which causes foreign pilgrims to believe they are figures from the Bible. In response to the incident, the defendant has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Due to a gag order, the police did not disclose his name. The defacement occurred during a time of religious tensions and heightened emotions in Jerusalem, as spitting and assaults on Christian worshippers by radical ultra-Orthodox Jews have been increasing. The Israeli government expressed alarm over the destruction of cultural values by religious extremists, attributing the defacement to Jewish iconoclasm.
The Israel Museum, known for its exhibits of archaeology, fine arts, and Jewish art and life, described the vandalism as a "troubling and unusual event" and condemned all forms of violence. Photos from the museum showed the damaged statues, including the marble head of the goddess Athena knocked off its pedestal and a shattered statue of a pagan deity.
The damaged statues are currently being restored, and the museum has not disclosed their value or the cost of the destruction. This incident is part of a series of attacks by Jews on historical objects in Jerusalem. In February, a Jewish American tourist damaged a statue of Jesus at a Christian pilgrimage site in the Old City, and in January, Jewish teenagers defaced historical Christian tombstones at a prominent Jerusalem cemetery. The Israeli Antiquities Authority expressed concerns about the destruction of cultural values by religiously motivated extremists.
