The wave of anti-Semitism in Europe: seven were arrested in Greece on suspicion of setting fire to Jewish buildings

The Greek police said today (Thursday) that during the past year, seven people were arrested on suspicion of setting fire to an Israeli-owned hotel and a synagogue in the center of Athens, Reuters reported.

A 25-year-old Greek woman, two Iranians aged 46 and 36 and a 44-year-old Afghan accomplice were arrested following an attack on May 15 with an improvised incendiary bomb on a building housing an Israeli-owned hotel and restaurant. The four were charged with arson that could endanger human life and causing damage to foreign-owned property in a racially motivated attack.

In another incident on June 18, a 44-year-old Greek man and a 26-year-old Afghan man rode a motorcycle near a synagogue in Athens and threw a flammable substance at its entrance, causing a fire, police said. A police official said that a 30-year-old Iranian was arrested as an accomplice. The three were charged with arson, possession of a weapon and robbery.

In March of last year, the Greek police arrested two men suspected of being members of a group that planned an arson attack or an attack against an Israeli restaurant and a synagogue in Athens. According to the report, the Israeli Mossad praised the Greek police in response to these arrests and accused Iran of planning the operations.