Officers from the Lev Tel Aviv are investigating an incident in which a young woman was recorded blowing out Hanukkah candles at a shopping mall in Tel Aviv over the festival, Israel Police announced.
Police began investigating after the CCTV footage went viral last weekend.
After receiving approval from the Prosecutor’s Office, the 17-year-old suspect and her 19-year-old relative were summoned for questioning at the police station on suspicion of offending religious feelings. The maximum penalty for this offense is three years in prison.
Hanukkah candles extinguished in Tel Aviv
The relative was recorded clapping while she blew out the candles. The suspect later returned to the extinguished candles to record on her phone, Israeli media reported.
Diaspora outlet TheJ.ca reported the woman posted the video, captioning it, “No one can see me because all shops are closed!”
The two suspects, residents of the Wadi Ara area in northern Israel, were released with restrictive conditions, and the investigation is ongoing.