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Netanyahu condemns suspected ‘Price Tag’ attack on West Bank mosque
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the vandalising of a mosque built in the Palestinian village of Jaba, near the West Bank city of Ramallah this morning.
Netanyahu called the act an ‘irresponsible act of lawlessness and intolerance,’ and pledged to ‘act swiftly to bring the culprits to justice.’ Defence Minister Ehud Barak said today’s incident diverted the IDF’s attention from its main mission of protecting Israeli citizens in the region.
Hebrew graffiti reading ‘The war has just begun,’ and ‘You will pay the price,’ was found spray painted on a burnt mosque. Police have launched an investigation, and suspect right-wing extremists are behind the act.
The incident carries the hallmarks of a ‘Price Tag’ attack, in which right-wing activists commit acts against the Palestinian population as ‘punishment’ for government decisions on settlements removal.
Earlier this month, the Knesset voted down a bill that would have effectively prevented the demolition of illegally constructed buildings in the Ulpana Hill neighbourhood of Beit El by the 1 July. The move sparked harsh criticism from settlers, leading to protests and threats of retaliation.
Since then, several suspected ‘Price Tag’ incidents have been perpetrated, including slashing of tires and spray painting of slogans on vehicles belonging to residents of the joint Jewish-Arab community of Neve Shalom.
In related news, it was reported yesterday in Ynet that Beit El’s Chief Rabbi, Zalman Melamed, said a deal on the voluntary evacuation of five homes in the settlement’s Ulpana Hill neighbourhood was imminent.
Melamed, who has been negotiating with the government on behalf of the neighbourhood’s residents, said all activity surrounding the settlement would be frozen for the next 24 hours, adding that the agreement, if finalised, would include “significant achievements” for the settlers. According to Ynet, the agreement stipulates that ten apartment buildings consisting of 30 units each will be built in Beit El, constructed on the grounds of a Border Guard base situated at the entrance to the settlement.