Arson attempt and ‘Price Tag’ graffiti found on mosque near Nablus
“The arson attempt is yet another despicable hate crime of the ‘Price Tag’ gang."
By UDI SHAHAMUpdated: APRIL 15, 2018 03:26Attempted arson from a suspected "Price Tag" attack on April 13th, 2018.(photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
The door of the Sa’adah Mosque in the village of Akraba was set on fire early Friday morning in what seems to have been a hate crime. Graffiti was found on the wall of the mosque saying “Price Tag,” and “Revenge.”No injuries were reported following the incident.The village of Akraba is located southwest of Nablus.The Israel Police said that it received reports on the event early Friday morning, with officers arriving later at the scene along with IDF soldiers.”Police forensics is taking evidence from the scene,” police said in a statement.Flammable liquids were ignited at the door of the entrance to the mosque, damage was caused and graffiti was written in the area. The investigation is continuing as police search for the suspects behind the criminal incident with apparent nationalistic motives.The incident, which took place around 2 a.m., was discovered only around 5 a.m. when worshipers arrived at the mosque for the morning prayer, reports say.Reports also say that residents of the village are maintaining that the arson is linked to the murder of Adiel Kolman in Jerusalem’s Old City last month. His murderer, shot dead at the scene, was Abd al-Rahman Bani Fadel from Akraba.MK Nahman Shai (Zionist Union) condemned the incident and said: “When Holocaust Remembrance Day is over, Jews are setting a prayer house on fire. Eighty years ago, in November 1938 – Kristallnacht – Nazis burned synagogues all over Germany. This is how the annihilation of the Jewish people started in Germany and Europe.“These people are not Jews,” he continued. “Whoever is not respecting the prayer house of others, is not worthy that his own prayer house should be respected.”
MK Amir Peretz (Labor), a former defense minister, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman to condemn the incident, and on security forces to find the criminals as quickly as possible.“The arson attempt is yet another despicable hate crime of the ‘Price Tag’ gang. It is a dangerous terrorist activity by those who try to ignite a religious war in the region. Therefore, I expect the prime minister and the defense minister to condemn the act,” he said.Activists from Tag Meir, an anti-racism organization, said that they will conduct a solidarity visit to the village on Sunday.“We will arrive at the desecrated mosque and demonstrate our support in the village for the prayer-goers of the mosque,” the NGO said. “In our visit, we will condemn the Jewish terrorists and their acts, and show the true and beautiful face of Judaism.”
