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Israeli leaders pay solidarity visit to scene of latest ‘Price Tag’ incident
There was condemnation from across the Israeli political spectrum in the wake of a new ‘Price Tag’ incident in the northern Arab town of Fureidis.
‘Price Tag’ attacks, acts of vandalism against Palestinian property by those opposed to curbs on settlement building, had been largely confined to the West Bank but have recently been perpetrated in Arab communities in northern Israel too. On Tuesday in Fureidis, vandals slashed the tyres of around 20 vehicles and spray painted a local mosque with the slogan “close mosques and not yeshivas [Jewish religious seminaries].”
Local residents launched a one-day general strike in the town yesterday to protest the attack. In a demonstration of solidarity with the local community, Israeli political leaders visited Fureidis. Finance Minister and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid visited the mosque and condemned the ‘Price Tag’ perpetrators as “a gang of cowardly criminals who come at night and perform actions of delinquents and vandals. They aren’t patriots or Zionists, they are only criminals.” Lapid added that, “We’re dealing with this gang as we do with terror. The police are treating the situation with maximum seriousness.” Leader of the Opposition and Labour Party head Isaac Herzog also visited Fureidis yesterday, commenting that Israel’s security forces must be able to combat ‘Price Tag’ incidents by being “given similar tools to those used in the fight against terror. This is terror.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Likud Party activists yesterday that “What happened in Fureidis was outrageous, and we are working to catch those responsible.” He added that such attacks are “contrary to our essence and values.”
Also yesterday, Israel Police arrested four residents of the West Bank settlement of Yizhar, in connection with vandalising a mosque in the northern Arab city of Umm el-Fahm a week and a half ago. However, the US State Department lamented within an annual report released yesterday that relatively few prosecutions are made regarding ‘Price Tag’ incidents.