Police have opened an investigation after footage circulated online showing a child riding a scooter and extinguishing candles of a menorah at the entrance to a residential courtyard in Ramle, the police announced on Sunday.
Within hours, police identified the child, who is under the age of criminal responsibility. He was summoned to the station with his parents and was later detained for questioning.
In the video, the child is seen approaching the menorah, extinguishing the candles, and fleeing as a vehicle enters the area.
“The police view with severity any incident of violence, harm to a person, their property, or religious sentiments, and act with all the tools at their disposal in order to reach suspects and bring them to justice,” the Israel Police said.
Woman filmed extinguishing candles in Tel Aviv
In a separate incident last Friday, police launched an investigation following complaints about an Arab woman who extinguished candles on a menorah at the Weizmann Mall in Tel Aviv. The woman filmed the act and posted it on her Instagram story.
Security camera footage shows the woman walking through the mall near Ichilov Hospital alongside a man. She approaches the menorah, extinguishes the candles, and the man applauds. She then returns and extinguishes another candle.
“You can see her extinguishing the candles on the menorah. We are examining the criminal and legal aspects of the matter,” a police source said.
Teen arrested in attempted theft of menorah
In a third incident, police arrested a Palestinian teenager from the West Bank last Thursday after he was filmed trying to steal a menorah in Beit Shemesh.
The owner, a city resident, filed a complaint after discovering the attempted theft. Police reviewed security footage, identified the suspect, and brought about his arrest.
According to the footage, the teen arrived in the area in the early morning hours to collect scrap metal. He then noticed a menorah inside a designated box outside a private home.