- FROM AFP NEWS
Armenia has opened an investigation after the country's only synagogue was vandalised in an apparent arson attack on Wednesday, police said.
Video from social media showed an assailant pouring burning fuel on the door of the Mordechai Navi Jewish Centre, which serves the capital Yerevan's small Jewish community.
"On 15 November the police received a call that unknown persons wanted to set fire to the doors of the building," local police told AFP.
"An investigation has been launched," they added.
Rima Varzhapetyan, President of Armenia's Jewish community, said the synagogue had not been seriously damaged and that no-one was in the building at the time.
"We are horrified because Jews have never had any problems in Armenia," she told AFP.
Video of the incident was shared by news outlets from Armenia's arch foe Azerbaijan, which has fought multiple wars with its neighbour.
"We didn't know what had happened yet, and Azerbaijani channels were already circulating photos of the building," Varzhapetyan said.
"Obviously, there are some forces that work not against us Jews, but against Armenia. This is outrageous," Varzhapetyan said.
There has been a global rise in anti-Semitic incidents since the October 7 attacks by Hamas and Israel's subsequent war with the militant group in the Gaza strip.
The same synagogue had been attacked before, on October 3, local media reported.
https://www.barrons.com/news/armenian-police-open-probe-after-synagogue-vandalised-e4f53877
