Yinon Reuveni Ordered to Pay 2.5 Million Shekels for Arson at Church of Bread and Fish

Yinon Reuveni, a man convicted of arson, has been ordered to pay 2.5 million shekels to the state treasury. The Beersheba Magistrates Court accepted the Tax Authority’s claim against Reuveni, ruling that he must return the compensation money paid to the Church of Bread and Fish. Justice Yaniv Boker rejected Reuveni’s claims of selective enforcement, emphasizing that the arson was carried out based on the ideology of the ‘price tag.’

The incident occurred on the night between June 17 and 18, 2015, when the Church of Bread and Fish and an adjacent monastery near the Sea of Galilee were set on fire. The church was damaged in three separate locations using flammable material. A message was sprayed on the wall, referencing a verse indicating the arson was motivated by religious zeal. Reuveni was later convicted in the Nazareth District Court for arson under aggravated circumstances and received a five-year prison sentence.

As part of the civil process, the state claimed it had to pay the church 2.227 million shekels in compensation for direct damages, which was paid in installments between 2016 and 2017. The decision to recognize the incident as an affront was based on the opinion of then Deputy Attorney General Adv. Avi Licht, who determined the action was carried out within the context of the Israeli-Arab conflict and as part of an ideological infrastructure directed against the state.

Testimony from an expert in the field supported this assertion, explaining that arson was used by the Christian religious infrastructure to gain public attention and undermine the state government. Reuveni argued that the Property Tax Law does not apply to the case, asserting there is no connection between the arson and the national conflict, but rather it is a strictly religious event.

The defendant also mentioned his personal circumstances, stating he was married and a father to a child, and that the prosecution impaired his ability to rehabilitate and lead a normative life. Judge Boker rejected these claims, ruling that the Tax Authority acted reasonably in compensating the church based on administrative evidence and professional opinion. The judge emphasized that the decision was grounded in the facts and legal framework established by the Knesset.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Hebrew)