A fire that broke out overnight Friday in a synagogue in the northern community of Harish near Wasi Ara destroyed religious texts, praying shawls and caused damage to the building.
Local residents claimed the blaze was a result of arson, but initial investigation indicates that mostly likely the fire erupted due to electrical malfunction.
What is left of synagogue after the fire
Some 45 families reside in the Breslov hasidic community, where the local synagogue is located in a tent and a shed.
Worshiper Natan Bitton told Ynet: "We came to pray in the morning and saw many fire engines trying to extinguish the blaze. After the flames subsided we winessed a horrific sight of burnt torah and religious books.
"The synagogue was completely burnt down, but the women's section did not, as well as other areas where a fire started but didn’t spread. It looks like deliberate arsons," he added.
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