The arrested man, who has been imprisoned on hate crimes and attempted murder charges, attacked the restaurant in March with many customers inside after ruling out a nearby synagogue because it was closed.
National Police officers have arrested ALK, a 22-year-old philosophy student in Murcia, accused of being the alleged perpetrator of the anti-Semitic attack that took place on the night of March 4th at the Rimmon Kosher restaurant – pizzeria in central Madrid. An attempt was made to set fire to the establishment while many customers were inside, according to police sources confirmed to EL PAÍS. The police consider the incident to be the first pro-terrorist act of violence committed in Spain against the Jewish community since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
The detainee, who has been imprisoned for hate crimes, attempted murder, and arson, allegedly acted in retaliation for the Israeli invasion of the territory.
According to these sources, the restaurant was not the now-detained man’s primary target. His initial intention was allegedly to set fire to Madrid’s main synagogue, located on Balmes Street. However, when he found it closed, he decided to target this pizzeria, located just over 150 meters from the temple and frequented by numerous members of the Jewish community because it is kosher , meaning food is served according to Jewish precepts. “He intended to cause the greatest number of victims, which is why he ruled out targeting the synagogue, since there were no worshippers inside at the time,” detailed sources close to the investigation.
The incident, as detailed shortly after the incident by the Jewish Community of Madrid in a statement, occurred when an individual entered the establishment “and sprayed the entrance with a liquid with a strong gasoline odor, intending to set it on fire and burn down the establishment, which was busy at that time.” According to the same statement, it was “the quick reaction of the restaurant staff” that prevented the fire, and “fortunately” there were no casualties. The police were able to verify that the now-detained individual had used, in addition to gasoline, “incendiary tablets and cosmetic oils” that he had previously purchased to set it alight.
