Image by Israel Police

JERUSALEM — A Jerusalem synagogue was vandalized with black crosses spray painted on its outside walls.

The vandal attack occurred on Sunday night at a synagogue in the Katamon neighborhood in southern Jerusalem.

The synagogue notified police of the possible hate crime on Monday morning. Police have opened an investigation into the incident. A police spokesman told Israeli media there were no suspects or known motives.

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The crosses were spray painted on the wall and on the windows of the synagogue. Synagogues in other cities throughout Israel also have been vandalized in recent months, including in Petah Tikvah and Safed, where Jews were believed to be the perpetrators, and in Tel Aviv.

Several attacks also have been made on church property in the Jerusalem area and northern Israel, and mosques in the West Bank in recent years.

In the past, houses of worship have been vandalized as part of what is called “price-tag” attacks. Such attacks are usually attributed to far right Jews and target Palestinians or Israeli Arabs. Other attacks have targeted synagogues and have also been blamed on extremist Jews, alhtough the exact motives for the attacks are often murky.

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