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| City of Elad entrance |
A group of ultra-Orthodox Jews have assaulted the deputy Elad mayor inside a synagogue during prayer services, according to police reports in Israel.
Shabi Aparhimi, a Shas Party member, was beaten and thrown out of the Ohr Hachayim synagogue on Saturday.
Members of the community said that congregants are angry at the deputy mayor after a dispute arose about who to appoint as the administrator of several local religious institutions.
A local rabbi, Rabbi Buhadana, forcefully took over the administration of several local institution despite the fact that a court ruled that the deputy mayor should be the administrator.
The rabbi said he did not demand to be installed as the administrator, but community members begged him to take control of the institutions.
"A group of people began pushing me. Then they began shouting at me and beating me. They also tore my suit and physically removed me from the synagogue. I asked them: 'Is this how Torah people behave?'" Aparhimi said. The deputy mayor said that since the attack he cannot control his right hand.
Local Police Chief Ronen Saban said that Aparhimi filed a complaint and the police launched an investigation. So far, no arrests have been made.