Haifa Indictment Filed for Church Vandalism and Police Assault

An indictment was filed this morning at the Haifa Magistrate's Court against 34-year-old Dean Mor, a resident of the Hadar HaCarmel neighborhood, for damaging a church and assaulting a police officer. According to the charge sheet, Mor smashed a window at a church on Haparsim Street in the city, and after being arrested, he spat twice in the face of a Druze police officer at the police station and hurled a racist slur at him. Police have requested that he be held in custody until the end of legal proceedings.

The incident took place on Sunday, the second day of Rosh Hashanah, around 08:00 AM. According to the indictment, Mor entered the church, wandered around, and climbed onto the priest's podium. A bystander told him that ascending the podium was forbidden and escorted him outside.

After exiting, Mor allegedly picked up a stone, hurled it at the church window, and shattered it. The damage to the window was estimated at 1,180 shekels.

Mor was subsequently arrested and taken to the Haifa police station. While waiting for a lawyer, according to the indictment, he spat twice in the face of a Druze police officer and cursed him with a racist insult.

During his interrogation, Mor, who has no criminal record, confessed to the acts attributed to him, but claimed he felt threatened both inside the church and at the police station.

The indictment does not attribute a religious motive or a hate crime to the church vandalism. Alongside its filing, the police prosecution unit asked the court to order Mor's detention until the conclusion of the proceedings.