Occupied Jerusalem: An American Jewish tourist in Israel has been arrested for allegedly breaking two ancient Roman statues inside an Israeli museum.
According to international media reports, the accused explained to the police the reason for damaging the statues, saying that these statues are against idolatry and the teachings of the Torah.
The police said that the alleged actions of the suspect caused considerable damage to the nearly 2,000-year-old Roman artefacts.
Police officers received reports of a 40-year-old American Jew smashing statues at the prestigious Jerusalem cultural institution in the evening, which were part of a permanent exhibition in the museum’s archeology wing.
The Times of Israel quoted museum management as saying that the suspect was walking throughout the museum carrying a stick and may have used it to damage the statues. The ruined statues date back to the 2nd century, including statues of the goddess Athena and the goddess Nemesis.
The damaged sculptures are being repaired by the conservation department of the museum. The statement from the museum also said that the Israeli museum considers this incident to be a disturbing and unusual incident. The management of the museum condemns all forms of violence and hopes that such incidents will not happen again.
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