Jewish home vandalized in Muslim Quarter

A Jewish-owned apartment in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem was broken into on Wednesday afternoon, and renovations to the upper story of the building were destroyed, according to Ateret Cohanim, an organization that supports Jewish ownership of properties in predominantly Muslim areas in Jerusalem.

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Joshua's Tomb vandalized with Arabic graffiti The two-story building, Beit Schechter, is located on Asaraya Street and faces the Temple Mount. The building is owned by a New York Jew. A young couple lives on the ground floor, and the upper floor is currently under renovations. According to Ateret Cohanim spokesman Danny Luria, two separate groups of Arab workers doing renovations on the apartment have been threatened by the neighbors and left the project.

This is the first time that people have broken into an apartment supported by Ateret Cohanim, Luria said. About NIS 5,000-8,000 worth of damage was caused when the attackers destroyed new stonework on the walls. Ateret Cohanim oversees 46 properties in the Muslim and Christian Quarters that are home to nearly 950 people.