The vandalism of the Latrun Monastery, which was discovered Tuesday morning, was widely condemned by Israel's leaders. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the act: "This was a heinous act whose perpetrators must be punished. The freedom of religion and the freedom of worship are among Israel's most important principles," he said. Related stories: Vandals desecrate Latrun Monastery 'Price tag' vandals consistently escape prosecution Haredi MKs back mosques, churches Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch is overseeing the investigation and has briefed Netanyahu on its progress. Defense Minister Ehud Barak also condemned the acts, saying that the Shin Bet, the police and the State Prosecutor's Office should join forces in the fight against Jewish terror. "We must fight this with an iron fist and end these kinds of incidents, which stain Israel. It is our duty to eradicate this phenomenon." Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman echoed the sentiment: "These 'price tag' acts, carried out by a bunch of lunatics, are intolerable. This is an insult to the State of Israel and the Jewish people," he said. Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon denounced the arson at the Latrun Monetary, calling it a despicable act by terrorists who mean to instigate war. "The State Prosecutor's Office cannot abide such acts and must deal with them with the same tenacity it does terror. This act does not represent Jewish morals and values in any way." Vandalism at the monetary (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) MK Dalia Itzik, chairwoman of the Kadima faction, strongly condemned the act as well: "The arson at the Latrun Monastery was an ugly act of evil. "This heinous crime goes against the values of Israeli society, as well as Jewish morals. As a democratic Jewish state we cannot look the other way – we must ensure that the perpetrators are caught and punished. "There is no room for fanatics in Israel in 2012," she stated. The French Foreign Ministry issued an official censure of the vandalism of the Latrun Monastery. "France harshly condemns this act and calls on Israel to investigate the incident and prosecute the offenders," a statement by Paris said Tuesday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Receive Ynetnews updates directly to your desktop