Attacks on Synagogues in Israel

Documented attacks on synagogues in Israel and the wider Land of Israel include mass-casualty terrorism, rocket strikes, bombings, arson, vandalism, desecration of sacred objects, and violence against worshippers near synagogue buildings. The record is representative rather than exhaustive: major sources use different geographic boundaries and do not apply a single definition of what constitutes an attack on a synagogue.[1][2]

Attacks on synagogues in the Land of Israel did not begin with the modern state. During the Arab riots of August 1929 in Hebron — which left 67 Jews dead beginning on August 23 — Jewish homes and synagogues were destroyed.[3] The Avraham Avinu Synagogue was specifically identified as destroyed, and the Holy Ark of the Sephardi Synagogue of Abraham was ransacked.[4] Hebron lies in the West Bank — known by its original, indigenous Jewish name of Judea and Samaria — and whether these incidents fall within the geographic scope of "attacks in Israel" depends on how that scope is defined; they are included here as part of the broader historical record of synagogue destruction in the Land of Israel.

A major episode of synagogue destruction occurred after Jordan's Arab Legion captured the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City on May 27, 1948. The surviving Jewish residents fled, and the Quarter's religious infrastructure was extensively destroyed.[5] One account reports that all but one of the Old City's 35 synagogues were destroyed, with some surviving structures repurposed as hen houses or stables.[5] A separate overview states that 58 synagogues were destroyed or ruined during the War of Independence and the subsequent period of Jordanian rule, with some turned into stables or chicken coops.[6] The figures may reflect different definitions, time spans, and counting methods.

Among the most prominent casualties was the Hurva Synagogue, a landmark of the Jewish Quarter. A May 28, 1948 report stated that the synagogue had been razed by Arabs; when Israeli forces recaptured the Old City in 1967, only a single arch remained standing.[7] A Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs account states that the Jordanian Legion blew up the Hurva along with other synagogues and Torah institutions, and that the neighboring Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue was likewise destroyed in 1948.[8] During the period from 1948 through 1967, Jews were denied access to the Western Wall and other holy sites.[9] In 1976, Arabs destroyed the synagogue at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and burned Torah scrolls, though the source does not provide a more precise date.[10]

Methods documented in the record range from firearms, suicide bombings, knives, axes, rockets, and explosive devices to arson, rock-throwing, graffiti, flooding, and the desecration of Torah scrolls. Some incidents directly targeted synagogue buildings, while others targeted worshippers entering or leaving, as in the 2002 Beit Yisrael bombing and the 2023 Neve Yaakov shooting.[11][12] Organizational responsibility and motive are often unclear, particularly in cases of vandalism or attempted arson.

The October 2000 demonstrations and disturbances, which coincided with the outbreak of the Second Intifada, produced documented attacks on synagogues in multiple locations. A human-rights report covering that year states that Arab protesters attacked a synagogue in Shafar'am during the October unrest, though it does not provide an exact date, name the synagogue, or describe damage or casualties in detail.[1] The report notes more broadly that Arab protesters attacked "at least one synagogue" in the country, phrasing that indicates the documented incidents may not represent a complete accounting.[1]

Also in October 2000, Palestinian civilians reportedly burned a synagogue in Jericho.[1] A separate account identifies the site as the ancient Shalom Al Yisrael Synagogue, which was plundered and had its second floor set alight, with books and sacred objects burned.[13] Jericho is located in the West Bank rather than within Israel's sovereign territory, and the report explicitly covers both Israel and the occupied territories.

A Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs account reports that on March 2, 2002, a suicide bomber detonated himself beside worshippers leaving a synagogue in Jerusalem's Beit Yisrael neighborhood. Ten people were killed and 46 were injured. The bomber was identified as Muhammad Ahmed Abd El-Rahman Derameh; Ashraf Hajajara, age 20 and a resident of the Daheisha refugee camp, was identified as having brought him to the site. The explosion occurred next to worshippers as they left the building, rather than inside it.[11]

Rocket fire from the Gaza Strip has struck synagogues on multiple occasions. On August 22, 2014, a rocket directly struck a synagogue in Ashdod, causing minor shrapnel injuries to three civilians.[14] A Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs timeline identifies the projectile as a Grad rocket.[15] The strike occurred in the context of renewed rocket and mortar fire following the collapse of a ceasefire on August 19, 2014, though no specific organization was attributed responsibility for this particular rocket in the available sourcing.[14]

In May 2019, a Hamas-fired rocket struck an IDF zone at Kissufim, adjacent to the Gaza Strip, and destroyed an on-base military synagogue. A Torah scroll donated in memory of a Holocaust survivor was damaged in the strike. No casualties specifically from the synagogue strike were reported.[16]

One of the deadliest terrorist attacks carried out inside a synagogue in modern Israel took place on the morning of November 18, 2014, at the Kehilat Bnei Torah synagogue — also identified as Bnei Torah Kehilat Yaakov — on Shimon Agassi Street in Jerusalem's Har Nof neighborhood.[17][18] Two Palestinian terrorists from East Jerusalem entered during morning prayers armed with a gun and bladed weapons and attacked worshippers.[19]

Four Jewish worshippers were killed in the assault. Druze Border Police officer Zidan Saif was critically wounded in the exchange of fire and died later that day, bringing the death toll among the victims to five.[20][21] Three of the four worshippers killed also held U.S. citizenship.[20] Police killed both attackers at the scene.[19] Casualty figures for the wounded differ across sources: one reports six wounded, while another reports eight injured.[22][19]

The attackers were identified as cousins Uday and Ghassan Abu Jamal, also rendered in some accounts as Rassan and Uday Abu Jamal, from Jebel Mukaber in East Jerusalem.[19] The PFLP issued a statement the day after the attack claiming the two men belonged to its military wing and describing the attack as "a natural reaction to the crimes of the occupation"; the organization's military wing subsequently withdrew that claim of responsibility.[23] A 2019 State Department terrorism report notes that ISIS also claimed responsibility, while the Congressional Research Service situated the attack amid broader unrest and violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank without attributing organizational responsibility.[24][20]

On November 30, 2014, less than two weeks after the Har Nof massacre, the outer wall of Tel Aviv International Synagogue was spray-painted with the words, "In a place where a Jewish state bill will be legislated, books will be burned," and a pile of burned books was left at the site. The synagogue's rabbi described the attack as antisemitic and suspected it was a response to an arson attack on the Hand in Hand school in Jerusalem the previous night; the motive was not independently established.[25]

On the afternoon of November 19, 2015, a Palestinian terrorist entered the synagogue on the second floor of the Panorama House building in south Tel Aviv and attacked worshippers with a large knife. Two Israelis were killed and a third was seriously wounded.[26] The attacker was identified, citing Palestinian media, as Ra'ed Muhammad Jabra Masalma from the Hebron region, who was in Israel legally and had been working at a nearby restaurant.[26] A bystander physically restrained the attacker and held him until police arrived to make the arrest.[26]

In May 2015, fires broke out at two synagogues in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Police suspected deliberate arson in both cases, though no injuries were reported. Rocks and other objects were thrown at firefighters attempting to extinguish the blazes; no motive or arrests were reported.[27]

Alongside lethal terrorist attacks, Israeli synagogues have been subjected to recurring vandalism, desecration, and harassment across multiple cities and denominational communities.

In August 2013, three synagogues in the Tel Aviv area — two in Bat Yam and one in Or Yehuda — were vandalized overnight. In Bat Yam, synagogue property was damaged and religious books were found strewn on the floor. In Or Yehuda, police apprehended an 18-year-old outside a synagogue after a foot chase; it was not immediately clear whether the break-ins were connected.[28]

A 2014 religious-freedom report documented several additional incidents: on January 30, apparent Jewish vandals defaced a Reform synagogue in Ra'anana with rulings by Maimonides implying its worshippers were nonbelievers; on May 31, arsonists attacked an unnamed synagogue in Petah Tikva; and on November 12, unknown attackers threw a firebomb at a renovated but unused synagogue in Shfar'am.[29]

In September and October 2016, a vandal spray-painted black crosses on a synagogue in southern Jerusalem on two occasions. Media reported that a Jewish Jerusalem resident was arrested in connection with both incidents, though the motive remained unknown and the investigation was ongoing at year's end.[30] The September incident was separately reported as occurring at an Iranian-run Orthodox synagogue in Jerusalem's Katamon neighborhood; police said at the time that no suspect or motive had been identified.[31]

On November 24, 2016, an unknown vandal painted graffiti and death threats against Reform Jewish leaders on a Reform synagogue in Ra'anana. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Education and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett publicly condemned the vandalism.[30]

During Simchat Torah celebrations in September 2018, a rock was thrown at worshippers at Jerusalem's Kol HaNeshama Reform synagogue, landing amid people dancing with Torah scrolls and narrowly missing several of them. More than 200 people were attending services that evening; no injuries resulted, and the incident was reported to police.[32]

In January 2019, two Netanya synagogues were vandalized on the same Saturday night. At the MacDonald International Shul, vandals spray-painted "Hail Satan," a pentagram, and an upside-down cross on the walls and burned prayer books. At the Reform Kehillat Natan-Ya, intruders forced open a window and left a garden hose running inside for an estimated 14 hours, damaging furniture, infrastructure, and prayer books; water stood ankle-high when the flooding was discovered. Police reported no arrests and said investigations were ongoing. A congregation representative suspected the latter attack was connected to the synagogue's Reform identity, though no motive was established.[33]

On January 29, 2019, worshippers arriving at Siach Yisrael synagogue in Jerusalem's Kiryat Hayovel neighborhood found it had been broken into overnight. The ark had been sliced open, and Torah scrolls were removed, thrown onto the floor, and doused with cleaning fluid. Police investigated the incident as a possible hate crime, though no motive was established.[34]

Beginning May 10, 2021, violence erupted in mixed Jewish-Arab cities across Israel, including Lod, Acre, Jaffa, and Ramla. During the unrest, synagogues were among the Jewish-owned properties targeted.[35] Fire and Rescue Services data reported as of May 16 gave a total of ten synagogues burned.[36] A Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs account likewise reported that ten synagogues were torched during the riots.[35] Neither source identified the affected synagogues individually or provided incident-level details for each fire. The broader violence resulted in two Jewish civilians killed, 196 Jewish civilians injured, and 300 police officers injured, according to the latter account.[35] Reporting on the riots also acknowledges that anti-Arab Jewish violence occurred during the same period.[36]

On January 27, 2023 — International Holocaust Remembrance Day — a gunman opened fire on people walking outside the Ateret Avraham synagogue in Jerusalem's Neve Yaakov neighborhood.[37] Seven Israelis were killed, including five who died at the scene and two who died subsequently; at least three others were wounded.[38] The attacker, identified as Khairy Alqam, also rendered Khairy Musa Alqam, was a 21-year-old resident of the At-Tur neighborhood in East Jerusalem and reportedly had no prior security background.[38] He arrived by car, opened fire, and drove away; police encountered him approximately 300 meters from the attack site and killed him after a confrontation.[38]

The U.S. Department of State described the attack as Israel's deadliest terrorist incident since 2008.[2] The attacker was believed to have acted alone and may have been motivated in part by the death of a relative two days earlier at the hands of Israeli security forces; terrorist groups praised the attack but none credibly claimed organizational responsibility.[2] Hamas characterized the shooting as retaliation for an Israeli military operation in Jenin, though that explanation was not independently established as the motive.[37] Israeli authorities arrested 42 suspects for questioning overnight, mostly in At-Tur, including relatives and associates of the attacker. Three victims were identified as Eliyahu Mizrahi, Natalie Mizrahi, and Rafael Ben Eliyahu.[39]

Detailed reporting places the shooting outside the synagogue building rather than inside it, making it an attack on congregants and other civilians in a synagogue-adjacent location. Its inclusion in a comprehensive list therefore depends on how broadly an "attack on a synagogue" is defined.[12][37]

The period from 2022 onward saw continued episodes of arson, vandalism, and violent protest directed at synagogues across Israel.

On March 6, 2022, unknown individuals attempted to set fire to the Ayelet HaShachar Synagogue in Ramla, breaking a window, pouring accelerant inside, and igniting a blaze. Police arrested a suspect the following day; the Shin Bet took over the investigation due to a potential nationalist motive. The case was subsequently closed for insufficient evidence.[40] In April 2022, vandals painted a swastika on the sign of the Beit Tzur Baruch Synagogue in Ashdod; no suspect was identified.[40]

On May 13, 2023, an unknown individual set fire to a tent belonging to the Ohel HaHasidim Synagogue in Lod. Police arrested a suspect two days later but did not publicly establish a motive or confirm responsibility.[41]

On June 24, 2024, a fire damaged a yeshiva synagogue in Ramat Beit Shemesh, destroying religious books and the Torah ark. Investigators concluded the evidence pointed to arson, and police arrested a 28-year-old Beit Shemesh resident on suspicion of arson and related offenses including reported threats, burglary, and theft. No one was inside the building at the time, and no injuries were reported.[42]

On August 18, 2024, an explosive device detonated outside the Rashbi synagogue in south Tel Aviv while congregants were praying inside. The blast cut electricity and shattered the synagogue's windows. The bomber, identified as a resident of Nablus, was killed in the explosion; a 43-year-old commuter was moderately injured. Hamas and Islamic Jihad both claimed responsibility, while the bomber was reported to have no known organizational affiliation with either group. Israeli security officials assessed that Iran or Hezbollah may have directed him, though this was reported as a possibility rather than a confirmed finding.[43]

In March 2025, unknown vandals dumped trash at the entrance of Tel Aviv's Great Synagogue at 312 Dizengoff Street. Government and municipal officials condemned the act and called for an investigation; no suspects were identified.[44]

On April 29, 2025, violent clashes erupted outside a Reform synagogue in Ra'anana during a screening of a joint Israeli-Palestinian Remembrance Day ceremony, with thirty attendees inside. Right-wing rioters clashed with event attendees, and stone-throwing caused injuries; police made arrests. The Reform Movement characterized the incident as an attack on the synagogue and those gathered there.[45]

On June 8, 2025, a fire was deliberately set at the Or Habib synagogue in Jerusalem's Sanhedria neighborhood, a congregation where former Sephardi chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef prays. According to the indictment, the accused first attempted to set fire to an adjacent apartment building, then entered the synagogue around 4 a.m., poured flammable liquid on Yosef's chair, and ignited it. The blaze scorched holy books and caused significant damage to the building's air-conditioning and electrical systems; no injuries were reported. A 23-year-old Beitar Illit resident was charged with arson and intentional property damage. The attack was initially investigated as possible terrorism, and some ultra-Orthodox figures attributed it to anti-Haredi incitement, but the accused's motive remained unclear.[46]

In August 2026, youths broke into Jerusalem's Kol HaNeshama synagogue in the Baka neighborhood, broke a window, entered the prayer hall, damaged artwork, and removed Pride flags. In September, eggs were thrown at worshippers outside the synagogue during Rosh Hashanah services, and around Yom Kippur an intruder removed a restroom window screen and threw a glass object inside the prayer hall. Police announced the arrest of three Jerusalem minors on suspicion of involvement in the damage. The Reform movement alleged that incitement against Reform Jews fueled the incidents; police had not publicly established a motive.[47]

Also in August 2026, unknown assailants threw rocks at Ramat Hasharon's Darchei Noam Reform synagogue, smashing a window at its entrance. The congregation characterized the incident as a hate crime, and the mayor condemned the attack and called for an investigation. The assailants had not been apprehended as of the report's publication.[48]

The documented incidents compiled here do not constitute an exhaustive list. The 2000 human-rights report describes "several incidents" and "at least one synagogue" without enumerating every event, and the 2023 terrorism report explicitly describes its attack entries as a "representative list" rather than a comprehensive one.[1][2] Available sources vary considerably in the incidents they cover: some focus on lethal terrorism, while others include attempted arson, vandalism, desecration of religious objects, rock-throwing, and attacks on worshippers near a synagogue.

Geographic scope presents an additional definitional challenge. Several significant incidents — including the 1929 Hebron synagogue destruction, the 1976 Hebron cave attack, and the 2000 Jericho burning — occurred in Judea and Samaria rather than within Israel's sovereign pre-1967 borders. Whether they belong in a list of attacks "in Israel" is a question of framing that different sources resolve differently.

Casualty figures for individual incidents sometimes differ between sources. For the November 2014 Har Nof attack, the number of wounded is reported as six or eight; these figures are preserved as source-specific rather than silently reconciled.[22][19] For the January 2023 Neve Yaakov shooting, one reproduced U.S. presidential statement referred to "at least eight" killed, while the same outlet's detailed incident reporting gave seven killed.[38] The article uses the figure consistently reported in detailed accounts while noting material discrepancies.

Responsibility claims for the 2014 Har Nof attack remain contested. The PFLP initially claimed the attackers belonged to its military wing, framing the massacre as "a natural reaction to the crimes of the occupation," before that claim was withdrawn.[23] ISIS separately claimed responsibility, while the Congressional Research Service described the attack without assigning organizational affiliation.[24][20]

Accounts of the Neve Yaakov attack vary in shorthand: some describe it as an attack at or near a synagogue, while detailed reporting places the shooting outside the building.[12][37] The scale of synagogue destruction in Jerusalem's Old City is also reported differently: one source gives a figure of 34 out of 35 synagogues destroyed, while another records 58 synagogues destroyed or ruined during the War of Independence and subsequent Jordanian rule.[5][6] The sources do not reconcile their categories or counting methods. For the May 2021 riots, the figure of ten burned synagogues is an aggregate attributed to Fire and Rescue Services data; the individual buildings were not named.[36]

The motives behind the June 2025 Or Habib arson and the 2026 Kol HaNeshama vandalism remained publicly unestablished, despite competing attributions by communal and political figures.[46][47] Motives likewise remained unconfirmed in several earlier graffiti and vandalism cases involving Reform synagogues.[30][33]