Footage of the synagogue (starts at 1 min 26), devastated by looting and bombing (with thanks: Raphail)
Torah scrolls and other Judaica plundered from an ancient Damascus synagogue are being held by an Islamist group inside Syria, which is demanding the release of prisoners captured by the Assad regime in return for the items, The Times of Israel has learned (With thanks: Lily):
Reports on the destruction and looting of the millennia-old Jobar synagogue in Damascus emerged
as early as March, but those responsible for the theft have never been
clearly identified, as government and opposition forces traded
accusations.
The Jobar synagogue — said to be
2,000-years-old — was built on the site where the prophet Elijah is said
to have concealed himself from persecution and anointed his successor,
Elisha, as a prophet. It was badly damaged in March by mortars
reportedly fired by Syrian government forces; some reports say the
building was destroyed.
A source involved in negotiating for the
release of the Judaica items and their extraction from Syria, speaking
to The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity
of the matter, said the objects were being held inside Syria by a group
affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front, an Islamist organization associated
with al-Qaeda and defined as a terrorist organization by the US. He said
the stolen items include at least three or four Torah scrolls as well
as ancient Jewish scrolls and silverware.
“They took everything they could get their
hands on,” the source said. “They want prisoners held by Assad [in
exchange for them].”
The source
said that Qatar may become involved in negotiating the release of the
items as part of its diplomatic bid “to play both sides” and demonstrate
negotiating capabilities with the Assad regime. Members of the
expatriate Syrian-Jewish community are also reportedly involved in the
talks.
“They [the Qataris] have a certain interest in
showing that they can handle elements they usually don’t get along with
… The Qataris like to play on all fields,” he said.
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