BICOM

Israeli police yesterday arrested four people on suspicion of involvement in recent so-called ‘Price Tag’ incidents in the northern town of Yokneam.

During the past several weeks, a number of ‘Price Tag’ attacks have taken place in northern Israel, acts of vandalism against Palestinian and Arab property by those opposed to curbs on settlement building. At the end of April, political leaders paid solidarity visits to Fureidis, where an offensive slogan had been spray-painted on a mosque. The following week, a similar incident took place at the office of a Druze dentist in Yokneam. It is estimated that around 10 ‘Price Tag’ incidents have taken place in Yokneam during the past two months, including graffiti, slashing tyres and breaking windows.

However, in a joint operation between the police and the Shin Bet security service, four suspects were arrested yesterday on suspicion of involvement in the Yokneam incidents. According to Haaretz, two of the suspects are men from Yokneam, aged 25 and 26, while the two additional suspects, also male are both aged 16 and from northern Israel. One of the 16-year-olds apparently confessed to the vandalism at the dentist’s surgery in Yokneam. Police suspect that all four suspects are known to each other and have requested that two of them have their remand extended over the weekend.

Over the past few weeks, Israeli leaders have called for more stringent powers in order to tackle ‘Price Tag’ incidents. Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich has called for the use of administrative detention against suspects, a measure usually reserved for those arrested on suspicion of terror-related offences, which allows for their detention for up to six months without trial. Aharonovich has been joined by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni in calling to convene a special cabinet meeting with the aim of designating ‘Price Tag’ attacks an act of terrorism.