American tourist arrested after attacking Roman statues in Jerusalem museum

The statues were attacked in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Israeli police have arrested an American tourist at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem after he hurled works of art to the floor, defacing two second-century Roman statues.

The vandalism late on Thursday raised questions about the safety of Israel’s priceless collections and stirred concern about a rise in attacks on cultural heritage in Jerusalem.