Israel Police arrested two suspects, aged 23 and 19, from Betar Illit on Wednesday on suspicion of carrying out three arsons at a cafe on Uziel Street in Ramat Gan over recent months, N12 reports. The arsons caused property damage; no injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing.
Israel Police on Wednesday afternoon arrested two residents of Betar Illit, aged 23 and 19, on suspicion of carrying out a series of arsons at the Benedetta cafe on Uziel Street in Ramat Gan, according to N12. The cafe was set alight three times over recent months, causing property damage but no injuries. The suspects were taken into custody and are being questioned; the investigation is ongoing, and police have not yet released a motive.
The cafe had been targeted three times previously, with the third arson reported on Wednesday, July 1, at 20:35 Jerusalem. Anonymous notes left at the scene linked the attacks to the cafe's Saturday operation, as The Zioneer reported at the time. The first suspect was arrested earlier today, followed by a second, and both are now in custody.
The arrests come amid a broader pattern of tensions over businesses open on Shabbat. As The Zioneer reported on July 11, Haredi protesters clashed with police outside a Jerusalem cafe on Shabbat, and similar confrontations have occurred in recent weeks.
The motive for the arsons remains unclear, and police have not disclosed whether the suspects are connected to any broader group or ideology. Further details are expected as the investigation proceeds.
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