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32 INTERNATIONAL AWEMainta Dialuna, 9 October 2023

Detention of American Tourist for Defacing

Ancient Roman Statues at the Israeli Museum

IN a disconcerting turn of events, Israeli law enforcement
has taken into custody an American tourist at the Israel

Museum in Jerusalem for perpetrating acts of vandalism,
which resulted in damage to two second-century Roman
statues. This incident has raised significant inquiries into
the preservation of Israel’s invaluable cultural heritage and

has drawn attention to the mounting occurrences of attacks
on cultural assets within Jerusalem.

The individual in question, identified by authorities as a

40-year-old Jewish American tourist, is believed to have
acted out of a conviction that the statues were “idola-
trous and contrary to the Torah.” Preliminary investigations
suggest a religious motivation behind his actions.

Conversely, the legal representative for the tourist, Nick
Kaufman, vehemently refuted claims of religious extremism.
Kaufman contended that his client was afflicted by a mental

disorder commonly referred to as the “Jerusalem syndrome.”
This psychological condition, characterized by disorienta-
tion and often associated with the profound religious signif-
icance of the city to Christians, Jews, and Muslims, can

induce individuals to perceive themselves as biblical figures.
Subsequently, the defendant has been mandated to undergo
a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. To preserve the
individual’s anonymity, authorities have imposed a judicial

order, preventing the disclosure of his identity.
the marble head of the goddess Athena dislodged from its
These occurrences have transpired against a backdrop of pedestal and resting on the floor, alongside a statue of a
heightened religious fervor and simmering tensions during pagan deity shattered into multiple fragments. Ongoing

the Jewish holiday season. There has been a discern- efforts are being made to restore the damaged statues. For
ible escalation in incidents, including spitting and physical the time being, the museum has refrained from disclosing
assaults, targeting Christian worshippers, primarily perpe- the precise value of the statues or the associated cost of
trated by radical ultra-Orthodox Jews. These actions have restoration.

not only disconcerted tourists but have also elicited indig-
nation within the local Christian community and prompted The Israeli government has conveyed profound apprehen-
widespread condemnation. The Jewish festival of Sukkot, sion regarding this incident of defacement, attributing it
signifying the harvest season, concluded at sundown on to a manifestation of Jewish iconoclasm rooted in ancient

Friday. prohibitions against idol worship. Eli Escusido, Director of
the Israel Antiquities Authority, characterized this incident
The Israel Museum, renowned for its comprehensive exhi- as a “distressing instance of cultural heritage destruction”
bitions spanning archaeology, fine arts, and Jewish art and and underscored the troubling trend of cultural assets being

culture, characterized the act of vandalism on Thursday as a targeted by religiously motivated extremists.
“disturbing and atypical incident.” The institution unequivo-
cally denounced all forms of violence and expressed a fervent Despite these challenges, the Israel Museum resumed its
desire that such regrettable incidents would not recur. regular public operating hours on Friday morning, approx-

imately 16 hours subsequent to the occurrence of the
Photographic documentation from the museum depicted vandalism.