Israeli Police Investigate String of Religious Site Vandalism
- Posted on October 9, 2011 at 9:31pm by
Sharona Schwartz
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Two Arab cemeteries in Jaffa were struck over the weekend by vandals, who left the spray-painted messages “Death to Arabs” and “Price Tag” on graves. Jaffa is on the southern tip of Tel Aviv where Jews and Arabs generally live together peacefully.
“Price Tag” scrawled in Hebrew at Jaffa cemetery (Photo: Yaffa48 via Ynet)
Israeli police have launched an investigation and are vowing to apprehend the perpetrators. Officials are not certain if this incident is linked to a string of vandalism acts where the words “Price Tag” have been spray-painted at the scene or if it is the of work of fans from a rival soccer team, due to soccer-related graffiti phrases.
Determined to act against perpetrators “to the fullest extent of the law,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is “not prepared to tolerate any vandalism, especially that directed against religious sensitivities”:
“Our tolerance is toward religious sensitivities and our need to continue living together in coexistence and mutual respect, without violence, in tranquility and peace. Our intolerance is directed toward those who oppose these practices and this way of life.”
President Shimon Peres called the attack on Jaffa’s Muslim and Christian cemeteries “despicable acts that disgrace us and contradict the moral values of Israeli society.”
Ynet reports some 150 Arabs and Jews gathered on Jaffa’s main street Saturday night to condemn the vandalism and urge a swift police investigation.
In what may be a retaliatory act, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a synagogue in Jaffa, setting a fire, also on Saturday night. Arutz Sheva reports the building was lightly damaged.
The vandalism comes just days after a mosque was torched in northern Israel, setting off protests and clashes with police. Graffiti spray-painted on the mosque’s walls suggested Jewish radicals were involved. That same day, Israeli President Shimon Peres toured the mosque and condemned the heinous act.
On Wednesday night, spray-painted swastikas and graffiti were found at Joseph’s Tomb, a Jewish holy site in the West Bank town of Nablus under Palestinian Authority control. Palestinian Authority officials have not yet condemned the incident, nor has its official news agency, Wafa, reported on it.
The Anti-Defamation League’s Abe Foxman said in a statement:
“Just this week, Israeli political, religious and social leaders roundly expressed outrage and condemnation at the heinous desecration of a mosque in northern Israel…It is important that the Palestinian leadership make clear that they will seriously investigate this [Joseph’s Tomb] incident and hold the perpetrators accountable. They must also make clear that these types of actions are unacceptable, and have no place in Palestinian society.”
Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, Joseph’s Tomb was placed under Israeli control, but the Israeli Defense Forces withdrew from the site when the second Intifada uprising began, at which time Palestinians attacked the site with pick-axes and burned it.
The tomb’s restoration was recently completed.
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carbonyes
Posted on October 9, 2011 at 11:52pmMay not be radical Jews. Consider the possibility of a setup by radical Islam to make it look like it was done by Israelis. Would not put it past the Occupy Wall Street hoodlums and their associates and leadership to do anything to foment their destructive revolutionary agenda.
Report Post »Servant Of YHVH
Posted on October 10, 2011 at 1:42amI figure that they believe that it was Jews that did it. I’m beginning to think that they are starting to do over there what we do over here. They will do their best to find and arrest and punish the people that hurt the sensibilities of the Arabs over there but I’m wondering how hard they are trying to find and punish these thugs that are injuring and killing both adults and babies with their rock throwing. Over here, if their is something posted against the muslim terrorists, the government will go all out to catch the ones responsible but it the muslim terrorists do something over here then the government will just sit on their cans and talk about how we caused it because we weren’t “nice enough” or “accepting enough” or things like that, that way the muslims can get away with whatever they want to do without fear of punishment. Of course, with a radical muslim brother in the White House, I’m sure that they feel quite safe in doing whatever they want to do.
Report Post »Zay Gezunt
Posted on October 10, 2011 at 7:31am…..and how about Pakistan and Yemen actually droning themselves so that they can stir up anti-American sentiments.
Report Post »otmonger
Posted on October 10, 2011 at 9:26amYou are right. They learn from the Democrats in USA!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »We are Americans
Posted on October 9, 2011 at 11:18pmIt shows that extremists for whatever
Report Post »cause act in uncivilized behavior.
Most people just want peace and a chance to
raise their families. I’m sure these criminals
and instigators will be caught and punished.
TomFerrari
Posted on October 9, 2011 at 11:09pmSPAM !!
New user – all posts are IDENTICAL
and only link to an outside website.
VIOLATION OF comment policy
VIOLATION OF TERMS OF USE.
SPAM!
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on October 9, 2011 at 10:33pmI would like to know how common or uncommon this is in Israel.
If it is RARE, then, we need to take note of it. It could be an indicator that things are about to erupt in the Middle East. If they DO, our pantomime “occupiers” will erupt into the same sorts of violence.
BE PREPARED !
Report Post »dawniffer
Posted on October 10, 2011 at 2:56amI completely agree!!! Americans BE PREPARED… We have let them into our country and really soon THEY ARE GOING TO TRY AND BRING THAT HORRIBLE BEHAVIOR OVER HERE ON OUR SOIL!!! We don’t ““occupy”” places like that… WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA!!!!!??????
Report Post »GOD HELP ME HELP AMERICA!!!!
MeteoricLimbo
Posted on October 9, 2011 at 10:09pm10 rules of common sense..
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on October 9, 2011 at 9:49pmIf this had happened here in the US, you can bet the administration would have been howling from the roof tops of this involving “Radical, Christian, Conservative Tea Party Terrorists…”
Report Post »AxelPhantom
Posted on October 9, 2011 at 9:47pmThe answer to abhorrant behavior is not more abhorrant behavior.
Report Post »Johnny916
Posted on October 9, 2011 at 9:40pmAs a Jew I hate to see this happening. Yes, I believe should defend themselves. But shouldn’t become or act like animals. We need to present ourselves to the world to show we value our livelihoods in Israel and wish to stay there in peace.
Report Post »Vechorik
Posted on October 10, 2011 at 11:38amThe problem is complicated — not all Jews are good and not all Muslims are bad. It’s just like America discussing a policy: there are always 2 sides to a discussion.
“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” -Alexander Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (1918-2008)
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