Co-ordinated attacks by settler militias on Palestinian property

Reports and photos from Ynet, Ma’an news and MEMO

‘Price tag’ vandals mark Borovsky murder anniversary

Numerous cars torched, graffiti sprayed in line of ‘price tag’ attacks in Jordan Rift Valley, Ramallah and Jerusalem on 30-day anniversary of Eviatar Borovsky’s murder

By Noam (Dabul) Dvir, Ynet news
May 29, 2013

Defense officials suspect that vandals marked the 30-day anniversary of Eviatar Borovsky’s murder in a line of acts of sabotage against Palestinians overnight Wednesday. Palestinian cars were torched, their tires slashed and “price tag” graffiti was sprayed in two villages in the Jordan Rift Valley, a village near Ramallah and in Jerusalem.

The IDF and Shai District Police launched an investigation.

Two cars, a bus, a pick-up truck and a tractor were torched in the village of Zubidat while four vehicles were set on fire in the nearby village of Marj Naaja.

Graffiti reading “Regards from Eviatar” and “30 for Eviatar” was found in both scenes. The slogans were referring to the 30-day anniversary of the murder of Eviatar Borovsky at the Tapuach Junction.

Revenge graffiti: ‘Regards from Eviatar’. Photo from Shai District Police.

Large army and police forces are canvassing the area in search for the suspects.

A source at the defense establishment defined the act as a “violent price tag.”

Jordan Rift Valley Council head David Lechiani harshly condemned the acts. “We consider the people that did this felons and outlaws that seek to destroy the great peaceful coexistence between the Palestinian and Israeli populations in the Jordan Valley,” he said.

Meanwhile, B’Tselem reported that two cars were torched in the village of Rantis in western Ramallah and that graffiti was found in the area. Shai District Police confirmed the report.

It was later discovered that assailants had also slashed the tires of three vehicles in the Shufat refugee camp in northern Jerusalem and sprayed graffiti in the area. The tires of four vehicles were also slashed in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Graffiti reading “Eviatar’s revenge” was found nearby.

Yoav Zitun contributed to this report

Settlers burn cars, spray graffiti across West Bank

By Ma’an news,
May 29/30, 2013

JENIN– Settlers torched at least nine Palestinian vehicles and vandalized property in the occupied West Bank overnight Tuesday, locals said.

In the Jericho village of Az-Zubeidat, four cars and a tractor were found burnt by villagers, locals said. Local NGO coordinator Hamza Zbeidat told Ma’an that settlers raided the village at around 3 a.m. and poured gasoline on the vehicles before setting them alight.

Four vehicles were also set on fire in the nearby village of Marj Naja and settlers sprayed ‘price-tag’ graffiti reading “For the anniversary of Evitar” and “Regards from Evitar” in both villages, referring to a settler stabbed to death in Nablus one month ago.

B’Tselem also reported that two cars were set on fire in Rantis, west of Ramallah, and graffiti was found in the area. Israeli police confirmed the reports, according to Israeli news site Ynet.

The tires of three Palestinian vehicles were slashed in Shufat refugee camp in East Jerusalem and four cars were vandalized in Sheikh Jarrah.

Muhammad Abu Taa from Shufat told Ma’an that a security camera in the neighborhood filmed four settlers attacking the vehicles. Graffiti reading “Evitar’s revenge” was also found nearby.

Taa said that residents told Israeli police about the attacks, but they did nothing to help.

Israeli military sources told Ma’an that five burnt vehicles were found in Az-Zubeidat and four in Marj Naja.

An Israeli army spokesman said incidences of “vandalism and graffiti’ were being reviewed.

Settlers routinely attack Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank with impunity. Annual figures compiled by Israeli rights group Yesh Din have repeatedly shown that nine out of 10 police investigations about settler crimes fail to lead to a prosecution.

Israeli forces block efforts to extinguish fires caused by settler arson attacks

By MEMO
May 29, 2013

Israeli occupation forces have blocked efforts to extinguish fires caused by Jewish settlers’ arson attacks. A fire engine sent to help was prevented from getting close to the blazes in the village of Al-Zubaidat in the Jordan Valley. Settlers set fire to a number of Palestinian-owned vehicles in the village on Wednesday morning; four cars, one truck and a tractor were destroyed. A further four vehicles were set on fire in the nearby village of Al-Mazraa.

The settlers also sprayed graffiti on several walls in Al-Zubaidat which suggested that they belong to the so-called “Price Tag” groups which have been carrying out most assaults against Palestinians and their properties across the occupied West Bank.

Sources in Al-Zubaidat told the Palestinian news agency Safa that Israeli occupation forces accompanied the settlers until they were at a military checkpoint in the area. It was there that they blocked the progress of the fire engine sent from the city of Tobas. Residents say that this proves the security forces’ complicity in the settlers’ attacks.

According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth the Israeli forces launched an investigation into the incidents. It also reported that the head of the village council, who is an Israeli, condemned the act and accused the perpetrators of “trying to spoil peaceful coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis in the village”.

Notes and links
Eviatar Borovsky was a father of five from Yitzhar, stabbed to death at Tapauch Junction by a Palestinian who has been arrested. Yitzhar is an Israeli settlement of Orthodox Jews south of Nablus, north of the Tapuach Junction.

Law enforcement upon Israeli civilians Yesh Din Data sheet, March 2012