Jerusalem, Dec 14, 2017 / 16:11 pm
An arson attack on the church complex at the site of Christ's multiplication of loaves and fish on the Sea of Galilee has resulted in prison time for the perpetrator.
Yinon Reuveni, 23, was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 50,000 shekels ($14,200) Dec. 12, Agence France Presse reports. He had been convicted in July of aggravated arson and two counts of criminal conspiracy.
He is from Baladim, an illegal Israeli outpost in the West Bank near Kokhav HaShahar. He is reported to be a Jewish extremist. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that when he was indicted for the attack, his charge sheet stated that "Reuveni has extremist views. He sees Christians as idol worshippers and their destruction as a mitzvah."
Reuveni's lawyer contended that the sentence was too harsh and he planned to appeal.