Two men were charged with the crime of terrorism, and seven people were detained on Thursday in relation to an arson attack against a synagogue in Skopje, according to the North Macedonian Interior Ministry.
Skopje residents “ALj” and “AR” were charged with terrorism after an accelerant was poured around the courtyard and entrance of the synagogue and ignited with a firebomb on April 12.
North Macedonian law enforcement conducted a search of 13 locations in connection with the incident and detained seven people in the raid. Electronic devices and other objects related to the crime were reportedly confiscated.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar thanked the North Macedonian government for it actions, which he said on Friday underscored “North Macedonia’s commitment to safeguarding the Jewish community.”
Israel’s ambassador to North Macedonia, Vivian Aisen, said on Twitter/X that the apprehension of the suspects sent a message that there was “no tolerance for antisemitism or terrorism.”
Two charged after arson attack against Skopje synagogue
The synagogue’s door and courtyard were charred in the arson attack, but the interior of the house of worship was unharmed.
At the time, the Jewish Community Board told The Jerusalem Post that this was the first time that such an incident had occurred “in the recent history of the Jewish community in the Republic of North Macedonia.”
“Ever since 1943, when our community was literally destroyed by the Bulgarian fascist occupiers, nothing like this has happened since then. Unfortunately, for the past couple of years – and especially after October 7, even in Macedonia, which is a pearl in the Balkans, with no antisemitism whatsoever – the mood has swung, especially among the hardcore leftists, and my guess is elements of the radical Left and radical Islamist movement.”
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), an alleged Iranian front group, claimed in a video soon after the attack that it was responsible for the arson against what they said was a “symbol of the historical and cultural identity of Jews of this region.”
“This center is not just a local place of worship but a link in the chain of identity and mutual support between the Jewish community and the Zionist regime,” it noted in the video. “Because of the crimes of the Zionist regime, no Jew anywhere will be safe.”