Worshippers in Nahariya discovered broken statues and damaged religious images on Sunday inside a prayer hall used as a church by the city's Lebanese Maronite community. The incident shocked community members, who include South Lebanon Army veterans, and prompted a police investigation. An apology written in English was found on the altar, according to Father Yosef Yaakov, spokesperson for the Maronite community in Israel.
Yaakov said a worshipper found the damage at about 5:30 p.m. after entering the hall before a prayer service planned for 7 p.m. He said the person responsible had left a message seeking forgiveness and expressing uncertainty about what had prompted the act. The identities and motives of those involved remained unknown.
The hall stands on municipal property beside a municipal garden and is used by the Lebanese Maronite community for worship and religious ceremonies. The community has approximately 1,100 members. Sunday services draw several dozen worshippers, while attendance during religious holidays reaches into the hundreds.
Yaakov cautioned against drawing conclusions about the motive before investigators completed their work. It was too soon to establish whether religious hatred was behind the damage, he said. He described anger and distress among worshippers, along with a sense that the community was unwelcome following the vandalism of a place with deep religious and personal meaning.
The incident also affected worshippers' sense of safety, Yaakov said. Families bring children to services at the hall, and the damage had raised concerns about their security. For community members, he said, the vandalism had disrupted the reassurance they found in a place intended for peace and spiritual comfort.
The Maronite Archdiocese in Haifa condemned the incident, describing it as a violation of the sacred character of a place of worship and of believers' ability to practice their faith freely, safely and with dignity. It urged authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible, and called for protection for the hall and steps to prevent further incidents.
Church leaders said worship would continue at the site despite the damage. The archdiocese affirmed that the community would maintain its religious services with faith, resolve and peace, while rejecting retaliation and hatred. It also stressed that tolerance did not require worshippers to stay silent about harm or surrender their rights.
Israel Police said the Nahariya station opened an investigation immediately after receiving a complaint. Investigators were pursuing a range of inquiries and examining every possible lead, police said. The force described violations of holy places and freedom of worship as serious matters and pledged to use the means available to find those responsible and bring them to justice.
