Netanya synagogue desecrated with ‘satanic’ graffiti, undergarments

A house of worship in the seaside town of Netanya was struck by vandals who scrawled praise for “Satan” and burned holy books.

By World Israel News Staff

When police in Netanya responded to reports of vandalism at a local synagogue, they discovered a bizarre scene, including satanic graffiti, charred holy books, and a bag containing a bra, reported the Jewish Press.

Former Member of Knesset Yoni Shtabun, who recently ran in mayoral elections in the town, commented,“The event in the synagogue is an extreme case that does not reflect Netanya at all.”

Historically, satanic cults have not taken root in Israel to the same extent they exist in the U.S. or Europe.

The handful of cases involving such cults include the 1990 suicide of 18-year-old IDF soldier Assaf Eldar, who plunged to his death from the tenth floor of a building in Rishon Letzion, leaving behind a diary in which he mentioned membership in a satanic cult.

In another isolated case in 1995, a homeless man who claimed to be part of a satanic cult murdered 16-year-old Amit Molcho in Rehovot.