Yanun Reuveni, 22, on Monday was convicted of setting fire to the Church of Bread and Fish in June 2015. Yehuda Asraf, 21, who was accused of assisting Reuveni, was acquitted of all charges. The historic church on the shore of the Kinneret was set on fire and severely damaged in June 2015. About a month later, three suspects were arrested, two of whom were indicted.
The indictment stated that Reuveni was documented on security cameras at the Latrun gas station, on the road from Jerusalem, filling two-quart bottles with gasoline. It also said that he and Asrf equipped themselves with gloves, matches and a lighter and drove to the church.
According to the indictment, Reuveni knew that the entrance of the church was covered by security cameras and that the gate was shut automatically in the evening, so he left his car outside the back gate of the compound. At around 3:15 AM he entered the church and poured gasoline on the door of the monastery’s building. Then he poured fuel on a nearby courtyard and lit it up. Next to the door he set fire to, Reuveni sprayed the inscription, “The idols shall be eradicated” from the “Aleinu” prayer. When h was done, he fled the compound.
Police found the bottles used by Reuveni, and nearby cameras recorded the Subaru he used. After extensive scans of the area, his gloves with his DNA were found some three miles away.
Judge George Azulai did not accept the police claims that Asraf lent his car to Reuveni, despite tire marks matching the car’s which were found in the church’s olive grove. The judge suggested these marks could have been made by other vehicles. However, the judge did not accept Reuveni’s version of the facts, especially since the defendant chose not to offer his side before he heard the prosecution’s evidence against him.
Reuveni’s attorney, Itamar Ben-Gvir, announced his intent to appeal the verdict, complaining that while the defense decimated every one of the prosecution’s claims, the judge did not relate to any of the defense’s arguments.