Swastika 'price tag' scrawled on tombstone of rabbi in the Galilee
"Price tag will be paid," written on tomb of Rabbi Halafta outside of Arab village of Maghar.
By BEN HARTMANSwastika sprayed on tomb of Rabbi Halafta(photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
The tomb of an ancient rabbi was vandalized in the Galilee on Tuesday, in what is being investigated as a possible reprisal price-tag attack in the wake of a series of nationalist crimes targeting the Arab sector in recent weeks.The graffiti sprayed on the tomb of Rabbi Halafta near Karmiel included a swastika and the Hebrew words “price tags will pay a price.”Halafta was part of the third generation of Tannaim (rabbis of the Mishnaic period) and lived in Tzipori in the Galilee during the 1st and 2nd century CE. Pilgrims visit his grave for prayers and to bring good fortune.Over the past week-and-ahalf there has been a series of incidents of vandalism targeting Arab citizens of Israel within the Green Line. These have included a mosque in Fureidis and repeated cases where the tires of cars belonging to Arab Israelis were punctured.Following the Fureidis vandalism, Israel Police said they did not fear that there would be any sort of reprisal attacks.In addition, on the eve of this week’s Remembrance Day they said there is no indication that there would be any sort of protests or violence in the Arab sector as a response to the price tag incidents.Price tags typically refer to acts of vandalism and violence directed at Arabs on both sides of the Green Line, to protest Israeli governmental policies.
