A second synagogue in southern Iran was reported vandalized on Wednesday, with attackers damaging Torah scrolls, prayer books, and ritual objects by a suspected group of vandals in the city of Shiraz.
The vandalism targeting Jewish places of worship in the city came as Iran’s parliament voted unanimously on Wednesday to recognize Jerusalem as the “permanent capital of Palestine” in response to US President Donald Trump’s backing of Israel’s claim on the disputed Holy City earlier this month.
A senior adviser to the Iranian-American Jewish Federation, Sam Kermainian, said that the city’s Kashi Synagogue was attacked on Sunday night, and the Hadash synagogue was attacked Monday afternoon, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA).
A statement by the Iranian-American Jewish Federation called on Iranian authorities “to ensure the protection of all places of worship as well as all members of our community, and to bring the perpetrators of these criminal acts to justice.”
The local Jewish community said it has no leads on the identity of the vandals, but suspects that more than one person was involved, JTA reported.
Speaking to Israel’s Channel 10 news, one member of Shiraz’s Jewish community said they believe the attack came in response to US President Donald Trump’s December 6 declaration recognizing Israel’s claim over the disputed city of Jerusalem.
Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel infuriated the Muslim world, including Iran, which has called repeatedly for the Jewish State’s destruction.
Iran’s parliament voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a bill recognizing Jerusalem as the permanent capital of Palestine, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported.
Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani told lawmakers that Trump made the announcement “in hopes of dealing a blow to Muslims,” the Turkey’s Andalou news agency reported.
Trump’s decision unleashed protests across the Muslim world, and was overwhelmingly rejected by the international community at a United Nations General Assembly vote last Thursday.
The status Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming it as their capital.
Israel claims the city as its “eternal and undivided capital”, while the Palestinians view the Arab-majority eastern sector as the capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there.
(Staff with agencies)