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Ban condemns arson attack on West Bank synagogue, urges respect for sanctity of all holy sites

People in a market in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
World Bank/Arne Hoel
People in a market in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Ban condemns arson attack on West Bank synagogue, urges respect for sanctity of all holy sites

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the arson attack on 6 February against a synagogue in the West Bank and called for a thorough investigation to quickly bring the perpetrators to justice.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the UN chief condemned the attack, in which a makeshift tent being used as a synagogue and the scrolls inside were destroyed.

“The Secretary-General also calls on all sides to respect the sanctity of all holy sites, refrain from any inflammatory actions or statements and reject the extremist elements that are pursuing a political agenda seeking to transform the current situation into a religious conflict,” the statement concludes.