The Yerushalayim District Court has acquitted the man accused of setting fire to the shul of Rav Yitzchok Yosef on grounds of insanity, ordering that he be committed to compulsory psychiatric hospitalization instead of serving a prison term. The ruling brings to a close a case that has gripped the capital since the June attack on the Or Habiv shul in the Sanhedria neighborhood, where Rav Yosef, the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, regularly davens.
According to the indictment, the suspect, a man in his 20s from Beitar Illit, carried out two separate arson attempts on the night of the incident. He allegedly sprayed crosses and other markings on walls and doors, poured flammable liquid in an apartment building entrance, and later broke into the shul itself, igniting a chair in Rav Yosef’s study area. The fire spread from there, damaging seforim, air conditioning systems, and other parts of the building. While no injuries were reported, the attack shocked the community and sparked widespread concern over potential ideological motives.
At the time, prosecutors charged the suspect with intentional arson and property destruction. Investigators noted that despite the symbolic target, there was no evidence linking the act to terrorism or foreign involvement. Judges described the case as one of “very high suspicion,” but from early hearings it became clear that questions of the defendant’s mental stability would dominate the proceedings.
Today’s verdict confirmed those suspicions. The court ruled that the defendant was legally insane at the time of the attack and therefore not criminally responsible. Instead of sentencing, the judges ordered his immediate transfer to a secure psychiatric facility for forced hospitalization, where he will remain under medical supervision until professionals determine he no longer poses a danger.
{Matzav.com Israel}
