A 20-year-old man from a moshav near Abu Ghosh was arrested for questioning last night after he filmed himself urinating on the wall of a mosque in the community near Jerusalem. Jerusalem District police officers identified and located the suspect within a short time thanks to the footage that reached them from the internet, in which the young man is seen committing the act to the sound of cheers.
Video: The man was arrested following his alleged urination in a mosque / Credit: Israel Police
Upon receiving the report about the footage, Jerusalem District police officers began an investigation. Within a few minutes, the officers identified the suspect and arrested him at his residence. The young man was taken for questioning at the police station for the offense of offending religious sensibilities and behavior likely to disturb the public peace.
Israel Police patrol officers carried out the arrest, and the suspect is expected to be brought before a court. The police clarified in their statement that this was an unacceptable act and that there would be no tolerance or leniency toward acts of hatred against others.
The arrest was made as part of the Jerusalem District's focused enforcement activity against acts of violence toward religious institutions and clergy. The police emphasized that such cases would receive full operational attention and that their long arm would reach any suspect, wherever they may be.
Following the incident, the Israel Religious Action Center, founded by the Reform Movement, issued a sharp condemnation. "'The Center wishes to express deep shock at the published footage, in which a young Jewish man is documented urinating on the wall of the al-Azir mosque in Abu Ghosh, while boasting about the act and publishing it on the social network TikTok,' the statement read."
The organization defined the act as "'racist and humiliating, directly harming freedom of religion, the sanctity of the mosque, and the dignity of the worshipers.'" It was also noted that the incident joins other cases on social media in which videos with racist and inciting content are distributed, giving a broad platform to incitement and violence against Arabs.
The center called on the Israel Police and the State Attorney's Office "'to act decisively to bring the suspect to justice, and to ensure that there will be no cover-up or leniency in addressing this serious case.'" According to the organization, "'As long as such acts are not punished with the appropriate severity, they send a message of permission to encourage harm to holy places and to an entire public.'"
