Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli
On December 1, ethnic Jewish people found the synagogue robbed in Gori. Ancient handwritten torahs were stolen. Law enforcers found part of the stolen torahs behind the building but majority of them were damaged.
“Soon I will turn 58; I spent all my childhood here but similar incident has never happened here. It was done by the enemy of Georgian and Jewish peoples,” Gulnara Mamistvalova said.
On December 2, Ambassador of Israel to Georgia HE Shabtai Tsur and Head of the State Agency for Religions Zaza Vashakmadze brought Sefer-Torah to the Gori Synagogue not to hinder the Saturday prayers. The Ambassador said the incident cannot negatively impact on the friendship of the Georgian and Jewish peoples.
HE Ambassador Shabtai Tsur said: “We brought Sefer-Torah from the Tbilisi based central synagogue not to Gori synagogue not to hinder the Saturday prayers here. Next year, we are celebrating 25-years-long diplomatic relations between Israel and Georgia that will further deepen our cooperation.”
“We are concerned with the fact; law enforcement officers shall timely investigate it. Nobody shall dare to rob any synagogue, mosque or church,” Zaza Vashakmadze said.
Ministry of Internal Affairs commenced investigation into the fact under Article 177 Part II-b of the Criminal Code of Georgia that implies thievery, illegal break into a closed premise. The crime is punishable by imprisonment from 3 up to 5 years. The police has not yet arrested anybody.