#HolyLand – Israeli police arrested a man in his 20s on suspicion of vandalizing St. Anthony’s Church (also known as the Church of St. Anthony of Padua) in the Jaffa neighborhood of Tel Aviv after religious statues and crosses were damaged inside the Catholic site.
Police received a report of the incident on the morning of Sunday, August 16, 2026. Officers from the Jaffa station, along with forensic identification personnel, arrived at the church on Yefet Street to investigate. They found that several statues had been knocked to the floor and smashed into pieces. Broken crosses were also discovered scattered on chairs and across the floor.
During the subsequent investigation, authorities identified a local Jaffa resident in his 20s as the suspect. He was located, arrested, and taken in for questioning. Police confirmed that the investigation remained ongoing and did not publicly release the suspect’s name, exact age, or any confirmed motive at the time of initial reports.
The church, constructed in 1932, belongs to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and is associated with the Franciscan order. Photographs released by Israel Police documented the damage, showing broken statues and crosses at the scene.
The incident occurred amid reports of increased harassment targeting Christian sites and communities in Israel in recent years, involving perpetrators from various backgrounds. Earlier in August 2026, police had arrested six suspects in connection with an attack involving rocks and spitting at the Armenian Cathedral of St. James in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Social media accounts circulated claims that the suspect was an Arab Muslim Israeli citizen and that he allegedly stated something to the effect of respecting the Virgin Mary in Islam while considering icons forbidden, before damaging statues of Jesus, St. Anthony of Padua, and St. Clare. These details were not confirmed by official police statements or major news outlets at the time and is likely speculation from Zionist users.
No further updates on charges or court proceedings were immediately available as of mid-August 2026.
Cover Image: a damaged crucifix inside of the Church of St. Anthony of Padua in Jaffa, Tel Aviv.
