Israeli court orders Jewish extremist convicted of arson against Galilee church to pay NIS 2.5 million restitution

The State of Israel won a restitution claim filed against extremist Yinon Eliah Reuveni, who was convicted of an arson attack on the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, and the adjacent monastery, at the Sea of ​​Galilee in June 2015. 

The Beersheva Magistrate's Court ordered Reuveni to compensate the state for around NIS 2.5 million ($670,000), plus interest and legal costs. 

The state was liable for damages under the Property Tax and Compensation Fund Law after the Attorney General’s office determined the incident constituted a hostile act. The court ruled that the state may collect part of the amount paid by Reuveni. 

The arson attack took place on the night of June 17, 2015, when Reuveni and at least one other person set fire to the church, while also spray painting graffiti on one of the walls. The graffiti said, "and the idols shall be completely cut down,” a quote from “The Book of Principles,” a work on the fundamentals of Judaism, written by Rabbi Yosef Albo. The book contains several anti-Christian elements, and the quote indicates the act was carried out with a religious motivation. 

Rabbi Albo lived in Spain during a period of intense anti-Jewish sentiment before the Spanish Inquisition. He is primarily known for his work, “The Book of Principles,” and for taking part in the Disputation of Tortosa, in which several Jewish leaders were forced to make a public defense of rabbinic Judaism under duress, due to threats of heresy charges. 

Reuveni was convicted in 2017 in the Nazareth District Court of aggravated arson and vandalism of real estate motivated by hostility toward the public, and was sentenced to four years in prison, which the Supreme Court later extended to five and a half years. 

The state claimed that it was forced to pay the church NIS 2,227,241 (about $715,000) for damages caused by the arson attack. The decision to recognize the incident as a hostile act was made based on the opinion of then Deputy Attorney General Avi Licht. Licht determined that the act was deliberate arson under aggravated circumstances and vandalism of real estate motivated by hostility towards a part of the public. 

Beersheba Magistrate's Court Vice President, Judge Yaniv Boker, accepted the state's position, ruling that the act was carried out as part of an extremist ideology of hatred towards Christianity, which meets the definition of an attack on a nationalist-religious basis. 

Judge Boker’s decision was supported by testimony from a Shin Bet expert, who explained that the arson of Christian religious sites was part of a series of so-called "price tag" attacks meant to gain public attention and undermine state rule. 

In his defense, Reuveni argued that the Property Tax Law does not apply to his case because, in his opinion, the arson was a purely religious act. He also noted that the restitution payment would harm his ability to lead a normal life as a husband and father. Judge Boker rejected Reuveni's claims, stating that Reuveni cannot enjoy “clean hands” after committing intentional arson. 

The court ordered Reuveni to pay the full amount of the claim, plus NIS 70,188 (about $22,500) in attorneys' fees and 5,000 shekels in legal costs. Judge Boker also rejected a request by Reuveni to deduct a sum of NIS 50,000 ($15,000) that he had already paid from the amount of the compensation. The judge noted that the state's compensation covers only about a quarter of the actual damage to the church and monastery. 

The arson attack on the church, a popular site for Christian pilgrims and tourists, garnered widespread attention and condemnation both in Israel and internationally. Reuveni was defended by Attorney Itamar Ben Gvir, who now holds the position of National Security Minister.